Return-Path: linese@mpx.com.au
From: "Eamonn and Katrina Lines"
To: Richard.Speare@jcu.edu.au
Subject: Fw: Head Lice - what else?
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 09:42:34 +1000

Hello there,

My name is Katrina, JCU student, mother of three, and experiencer of many head lice infestations. Your information page is excellent. However, I'm still not clear on whether or not we have to wash the sheets, clothes, bedtoys etc etc etc etc at the same time as we do the hair treatment. Can you let me know (and all of my friends as well) please whether or not this is a safe thing or an unnecessary thing to do. Also how long do the 'little suckers' live away from a human host? I've heard various reports of hours to days. The chemist says days and that everything needs to be soaked in special solutions etc etc including hats. Please help!!!

Katrina Lines

Dear Katrina

>Your information page is excellent.

Many thanks.

>However, I'm still not clear on whether or not we have to wash
>the sheets, clothes, bedtoys etc etc etc etc at the same time as
>we do the hair treatment. Can you let me know (and all of my
>friends as well) please whether or not this is a safe thing or
>an unnecessary thing to do.

I consider this is an unnecessary waste of time. However, I do not have any solid scientific data to support this statement. I do know I can cure any case of pediculosis by concentrating solely on the head and not bothering about the activities you list above. I suspect that the environment is unimportant because:

1. Few head lice fall off the head
2. Those that do fall off are probably the ones that are about to die - head lice only live about 30 days,
3. If a healthy louse falls off, it will dehydrate at a rate dependent on the relative humidity of its microenvironment. In Townsville a healthy head lice will survive 24 hrs in the wet season, but only 6 hrs in the dry season.

We will be investigating a number of these points later this year ... then we will have some data to counter the "scorched earth" advocates!

>Also how long do the 'little suckers' live away from a human
>host? I've heard various reports of hours to days. The chemist
>says days and that everything needs to be soaked in special
>solutions etc etc including hats.

Head lice are easy to kill on items ... tap water at 60C for 10 seconds causes 100% mortality in head lice on combs and brushes. If you have a temperature regulated hot water system, it is probably set at 55C. So you will have to heat some water to get it to the right temperature. Using hot water to kill head lice in combs and brushes is much safer than using insecticide soaking solutions.

Also if you are worried about head lice in hats or bedding for example, put them in the dryer on a hot cycle. At 4 schools we checked about 1000 hats and found no head lice although about 200 of those kids had head lice.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Rick Speare