Three Eagan schools fight off head lice

Updated: March 12, 2008 - 11:20 PM

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A pesky outbreak of head lice in three Eagan schools has kids scratching heads and parents painstakingly combing hair this week in District 196.

The problem started at Pinewood Elementary, then spread to Dakota Hills Middle School and Eagan High School, where many of the younger children have siblings.

"Head lice is not an uncommon thing," said district spokesman Tony Taschner. "What is uncommon is when you have the numbers that we're talking about."

At Pinewood, about 90 students stayed home with lice last week, staff members are bagging coats and furniture in plastic and cleaning vigorously, and the school called in the Dakota County Public Health Department to inspect the building. Most of the infected students returned to class this week after being checked by the school nurse, but Principal Crisfor Town e-mailed parents Wednesday to ask them to keep doing 30-minute head-checks every day at home until everyone is lice-free.

As of Wednesday, five Pinewood students were still out with lice, along with a dozen at Dakota Hills and perhaps five or 10 at Eagan High School, Taschner said.

Head lice, tiny insects that feed on blood, spread quickly through direct contact or shared combs, hats, clothing and furniture.

To learn more about how to identify and treat head lice, go to www.district196.org and click on Student Services/Health Services/Infectious Diseases.

SARAH LEMAGIE