Stafford Public Schools

Head Lice

What Are Head Lice?

Head lice are one of the most common communicable conditions. An estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States, most commonly among children ages 3 to 11 years old. Lice are a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of people. They feed on human blood and live close to the human scalp. They are not dangerous and are not known to transmit disease, but they are contagious.1
 
For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

Read about head lice management in schools from the National Association of School Nurses website.​​​​​​

Ticks

What are They?    Tick
According to Wikipedia, Ticks are external parasites, living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Ticks have four stages to their lifecycle, namely egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Because of their hematophagous (ingesting blood) diets, ticks act as vectors of many serious diseases that affect humans and other animals. 2
For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

Mosquitos

What are They?

Mosquitoes are common, flying insects that live in most parts of the world. Over 3,500 types of mosquitoes can be found worldwide. Not all mosquitoes bite people or animals. When mosquitoes bite people, the most common reactions to the bite are itching and swelling. Some mosquitoes can be vectors or an animal, insect, or tick that spreads pathogens (germs) to people and animals. The germs (viruses and parasites) that mosquitoes spread can make you sick. Some mosquitoes bite, but do not spread germs. These types of mosquitoes are called nuisance mosquitoes. 3
For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

Needing to identify a pest? Check HERE!

• Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Disease Control and Prevention  (2020, September 17). CDC - lice - head lice - general information - frequently asked Questions (FAQs). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from CDC
• Tick. Wikipedia (2021, March 24). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from Tick-Wikipedia
• Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD), Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, March 05). What is a mosquito? Retrieved

For further information, click here to visit the CDC's website.

All information on this page has been supplied by the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) and Wikipedia.