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Super Lice in 48 states including Virginia

Posted at 5:01 PM, Aug 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-23 06:05:19-04

Just in time for the school year, super lice is in 48 states across the country -- including Virginia.

They are hard to stop, and health professionals say, they're all over Hampton Roads.

Ty Alleye is a nurse and manager of Lickety Nit, a lice removal center in Virginia Beach. She says just so far this month, they've treated and checked 200 patients for super lice.

"It has been really busy. We're not even at the end of the month. School hasn't even started, and we've been really, really extremely busy. People are calling in the middle of the night, frantic, because they found lice in their children's hair. They've been treating it for many weeks, and can't seem to get rid of it" she said.

The term "super lice" came out last year, and the small bugs are still around.

They are extremely resistant to over the counter treatment, so patients are turning to professionals who use a dryer to kill the eggs, then comb out what's left.

In Hampton Roads, Alleyne says it's everywhere, ranging from Suffolk to Chesapeake, all the way to Newport News and Williamsburg.

"It's an everywhere problem. It's just not isolated to one area this year. It's everywhere. Every school district, every private school. Everywhere," she said.

The problem is keeping her business busy. She's expecting more calls after the school year starts since kids will be in tight quarters while in class.

"Lice isn't going away. They've been around since human beings have been around. They're never going away," she added.

Alleyne recommends to check your child's hair once a week by inspecting it, and running a comb through it while looking for the tiny bugs.

The Virginia Beach Health Department says they don't keep track of lice cases.