The simple act of reading this story or discussing it with friends will make your head itch.
Dozens of on-campus students have been diagnosed with lice since school started, and shelves of lice removal products were sold out at the Fairfield Stop & Shop and CVS stores on Tuesday.
Lice is a parasitic insect that attaches itself onto the hair and feeds off blood from the human host. A louse then lays eggs called nits. These eggs are visible as sesame-sized pods, and can be passed when something like a hat or brush is rubbed against them. Lice has been around for thousands of years and as many as six to 12 million people get head lice every year worldwide, according to information provided by the health center.
Despite a large-scale infestation in all living areas of Fairfield University, The Mirror had difficulty getting students to talk on the record about it.
“I just don’t want my name quoted as someone with lice. The stigma is just too hurtful,” one student said.
Another female student who wished to remain anonymous told The Mirror her story about having lice.
“My roommate went to the hairdresser and the stylist refused to cut her hair because she had lice. When she came home I went to the health center and found out I had lice eggs, called nits, in my hair.”
Cases of lice have been reported in all areas of campus, but exact numbers could not be obtained.
“We cannot release information about our patients because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),” said Gary Nelson, director of the health center.
“The health center is always happy to examine students any time 24/7. If a student thinks they have lice they should be diagnosed before trying to treat it. The shampoo for lice is neurotoxic, and so students should not use it unless they have lice,” said Nelson.
Nelson also said that students shouldn’t stress too much if they find out they have lice. Over-the-counter treatment is very simple. He also advised affected students to clean their sheets and bed linens with hot water.
Lice live for 24 hours once off a human host. A common rumor is that lice can jump from person to person, but infection occurs only through direct contact with an object someone with lice has touched to their hair.
Common symptoms are itching caused by an allergic reaction to the louse bites, a tickling feeling in the hair or sores on the head caused by scratching. Some people have no symptoms.
“Although I am now free of lice since I used Nix shampoo and combed the eggs out, I feel that there should have been a campus-wide announcement to warn students,” said the anonymous female student.
Others had different reactions.
“Thank God I live at the Beach,” said Mike Foristel ’06.
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