by Katie Dunn |
The number of confirmed cases of head lice has increased from six to eight as of late Wednesday afternoon according to Sarah Meiser, associate director for housing.
As a result of the outbreak, the Clark Library has stopped loaning out headphones for one week.
The dorms “impacted” are Fields, Schoenfeldt, Kenna and Tyson, according to an email sent out to several University departments by Jeff Rook, environmental safety officer of Public Safety. Residence Life has given them instructions for delousing their residences and is monitoring treatment and clean up. The Health Center is urging students not to panic.
The first cases were discovered Monday morning when the Athletics Department notified Public Safety. Athletics hired a company called Lice Knowing You to come to the Chiles Center and screen athletes Tuesday morning. Because of the infestation, Physical Plant washed clothes and cleaned locker rooms in Chiles.
Margaret Trout, director of the Health Center, is advising students to follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for information and treatment. Trout also said that students who think they have lice should go to a pharmacy and ask for over-the-counter lice treatment.
While head lice are parasites that need hosts to live, they are not known to transmit diseases and are more of a nuisance than a hazard. They move throughout the head and neck area and live for about 24-72 hours. Infestations spread through close person-to-person contact, mainly head contact and sharing of items like hats and combs. Lice are not able to fly, hop or jump from person-to-person.
The eight students who have confirmed cases shared a wig at a Halloween party off-campus over the weekend.
Katie Dunn is editor-in-chief of The Beacon. She can be reached at dunn16@up.edu or @katie_dunn24
