It all started with a phone call. The school has called my wife in the middle of the day saying that she needs to pick up our daughter immediately. Another child has been scratching her hair so the teacher decided to investigate. Every child had their hair checked that day and there it was - head lice! My daughter was one of the victims.
No problem, I thought. I mean, how bad can this be? I treat parasites every day. Just the other day I dealt with a bad case of ear mites in a very upset Alaskan. Alaskan Malamute that is. You see, I am a Veterinarian and treating parasites is my bread and butter. Sure my patients are furry and four legged. But the etymology of a parasitic infection is the same in any species. Right? Little did I know what I was in for.
I approached the problem with the same attitude as I do with any challenging case. I needed information. I found out that head lice are prolific breeders laying up to 8 eggs a day from when they are only 10 days old, with the eggs hatching a week later. Lice are common throughout the world, including the well-off countries. They spread easiest in places where head to head contact is common (such as kindergartens and primary schools). They also don't discriminate between clean or dirty hair, between neglected children and those well cared for - which dulled somewhat my intense feelings of being a substandard parent. At first glance the challenge presented to me did not seem that great. Head lice are not particularly resilient as far as microscopic critters go. They can not survive for more than about 24 hours outside of the human hair. Their eggs too are laid firmly attached to the hair strands. Therefore no need to exert heroic efforts sterilizing the environment - couches, floor boards, the car etc. - a quick vacuum is all that's needed. Even the bedding and hair accessories only warrant a trip through the washing machine to remove any 'stray' eggs. Oh yes, the eggs! That is precisely where the problem lies. There they were - tiny, white with an orange tinge, teardrop shaped, attached firmly to my child's hair. The eggs can not be washed off and resist all chemical treatments. They are in one word - indestructible. You heard the saying that the cockroaches will be the only ones to survive a nuclear blast? Well, I firmly believe that in that event the cockroaches will have company - those tiny, pesky louse eggs.
No problem, I thought. I mean, how bad can this be? I treat parasites every day. Just the other day I dealt with a bad case of ear mites in a very upset Alaskan. Alaskan Malamute that is. You see, I am a Veterinarian and treating parasites is my bread and butter. Sure my patients are furry and four legged. But the etymology of a parasitic infection is the same in any species. Right? Little did I know what I was in for.
I approached the problem with the same attitude as I do with any challenging case. I needed information. I found out that head lice are prolific breeders laying up to 8 eggs a day from when they are only 10 days old, with the eggs hatching a week later. Lice are common throughout the world, including the well-off countries. They spread easiest in places where head to head contact is common (such as kindergartens and primary schools). They also don't discriminate between clean or dirty hair, between neglected children and those well cared for - which dulled somewhat my intense feelings of being a substandard parent. At first glance the challenge presented to me did not seem that great. Head lice are not particularly resilient as far as microscopic critters go. They can not survive for more than about 24 hours outside of the human hair. Their eggs too are laid firmly attached to the hair strands. Therefore no need to exert heroic efforts sterilizing the environment - couches, floor boards, the car etc. - a quick vacuum is all that's needed. Even the bedding and hair accessories only warrant a trip through the washing machine to remove any 'stray' eggs. Oh yes, the eggs! That is precisely where the problem lies. There they were - tiny, white with an orange tinge, teardrop shaped, attached firmly to my child's hair. The eggs can not be washed off and resist all chemical treatments. They are in one word - indestructible. You heard the saying that the cockroaches will be the only ones to survive a nuclear blast? Well, I firmly believe that in that event the cockroaches will have company - those tiny, pesky louse eggs.