How contagious is head lice?

Question

I have a daycare and a woman brought her two children here 7:30-3:20 Mon - Thu for just those 4 days and called me Thu night to tell me her kids had head lice from their last daycare. The younger was infested and her older just had the eggs. I vacuumed all my floors and washed the bedding but how likely is it that my kids will now be infected? The only other kid I watch is a baby. So far no one looks to have any eggs but I know it can take up to two weeks to become manifest. Yuck!!

Answer 1

if they use anything that touches what they had in their hair they could get it too. You did the right thing by washing everything and vaccuming. If you have stuffed animals put them in a big plastic bag for 2 weeks. Good Luck and just keep a watch out

Answer 2

VERY,VERY contagious

Answer 3

Princess has no clue.  head lice are very contagious and YES you do have to wash bedding, stuffed toys, anything those children came into contact with and you need to alert the parents of the other children in your care, lice can lay eggs ANYWHERE including bedding and when the eggs hatch there is another infestation of lice.

Answer 4

very contagious. there was a big out break at my school when i was young.

in school the nurse told me that i wasnt in danger of getting the lice because i use hair dress and sheen and the lice cannot hold on to the hair shaft because it was too slippery.

Answer 5

It's VERY contagious.  They make a spray that you can spray on your carpet and mattresses.  I highly recommend you get some ASAP.  

You must wash everything in your house (that can fit and go in your machine) in hot water.  

Stuffed animals and pillows you don't want to wash, need to be placed in plastic garbage bags for 2 weeks.

Buy the special shampoo and use it on everyone in your family.

DO NOT allow the infected children back into your home until they have been treated with the shampoo and are nit free.  That means no sign of bugs or eggs in their hair.

Keep your hair in a bun or tied back as much as possible until the risk is gone.

Answer 6

No need to wash bedding etc. Headlice cannot survive off the head.

If you've checked their hair and they have no lice, then it looks like they're clear, but you could continue to check it for a few weeks.

Unless your kids had head to head contact with any of these kids, or with any other kid who might have been close to them, they most likely won't get them. Headlice cannot jump or anything like that.

Answer 7

your doing the right thing with hovering and change all the bed clothes every 2 days. never put the same clothes on twice. i would also hoover the children's mattresses on there beds. best of luck. but i think you will be fine

Answer 8

It's very contagious call your local exterminator

Answer 9

Don't listen to "princess".  First of all, that woman knew that her kids had lice, and probably were told that they couldn't come back for a week, so she found you, to deal with it for a week.  If the one child had more than eggs, that kid had headlice for awhile, and wasn't just occuring.  I'd like to slap that woman up, really.  COMPLETELY clean your home.  Get rid of the vacuum bag or container, wash it.  Clean and sanitize all your toys.  Headlice is horrific to get rid of.  Check your kids heads twice a day every day for the next week.  Make sure EVERY ROOM those kids were in are perfectly clean.  Vacuum furniture as well.  You don't want your kids getting this.  Always inspect childrens heads before you take them into your daycare, as a precaution.