In addition to bedbugs, lice are among the most common communicable bugs that are likely to cause dorm-wide pandemonium. A single louse (yes, that’s really the singular form of “lice”)
Dorm-Bound Lice
In November 2010, Minot State University in North Dakota had the unfortunate experience of a head lice outbreak in a women’s dorm. While lice are more common in elementary schools than on college campuses, this incident was far from unique. Another campus outbreak was been reported in 2006 at Bowdoin College in Maine.
Louse Basics & Prevention
Head lice represent only one of the three types of lice, which can be seen pictured side-by-side. Like bedbugs, these insects are parasitic and communicable, so it’s no wonder that these blood-thirsty varmints thrive in schools and other close-contact environments.
1. Head lice: These are the size of sesame seeds and appear a grayish color. Approximately 2-3mm long, they attach their eggs (known as nits) to the bases of hair shafts. While they can’t fly or hop from head to head, they often get free rides on shared hats, grooming products, or head phones. The next time your roommate asks to borrow your hoodie, you might want to think twice!
2. Body lice: These slightly larger lice live in clothing and beds. Because they actually lay their eggs on fabrics and only move to human skin in order to feed, they can be transferred even when there’s no bodily contact; however, sharing clothes and bed-hopping are common culprits. Before you sit on someone else’s bed, you might want to reconsider.
3. Pubic lice: While these crab-like creatures do attach to hair in the pubic area, they can also be found on other coarse body hair, such as armpit or facial hair or even eyelashes or brows. This variety of lice is round, with three sets of crab-like legs. They’re less than 2 mm in length and can spread through sexual contact.
Getting Rid of Lice
If you’re experiencing intense itching on your head or neck, throughout your body, or in your pubic area, check to see if there’s a red rash in that area. If so, you might be dealing with head, body, or pubic lice. After examining the affected area(s) for the little critters, you’ll want to treat the affected area with some easily obtained over-the-counter remedies.
You’ll need to take care of any affected grooming tools, bedding, towels, and clothing, as well. Clothing should be either frozen for 24 hours, washed in hot water, or thrown away. If you’re living in the dorm, you need to inform your roommates as well as the resident assistant or other authority so others can be informed of the incident and can be checking for lice in their rooms, too.
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