Can Head Lice Jump From Person to Person?
WouterHead lice cannot jump or swim. Instead, they move from person to person by head-to-head contact. This is a common problem in primary schools, where children spend lots of time touching one another. Even parents can spread the lice by cuddling their children. But there are some precautions that you can take to prevent head lice from affecting your child.
Head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact, but they can also spread through clothing, pillows, and hats shared between people. Head lice cannot survive on pets. They are found only on human heads. However, they can spread through clothing, which can include sharing a pillow or scarf.
Head lice are tiny insects that can live for weeks or even months on human bodies. Their legs are designed for crawling and grasping hair. If you repeatedly scratch your scalp, you can spread the lice and lead to secondary infections. However, this is not a cause for alarm. Head lice can affect anyone, whether you’re a teenager or a grandmother, no matter your age or cleanliness level.
The best way to prevent head lice is to regularly screen your child for head lice. Changing pillowcases regularly is a good way to get rid of these parasites. Just make sure that you wash them in hot water and dry them in a hot clothes dryer. Then, check them for the lice that have crawled onto them and treat them.
