As if spreading lice around a school isn't bad enough, more than 25 states in the country are said to have "super lice," and that includes Illinois. The lice aren't any bigger than normal, but they're a genetic strain resistant to most prescription and over the counter treatments.
Heat therapy treatments at salons are expensive but effective in killing off the lice already on a person's scalp.
The average lifespan of a louse is only 33 days but can lay 10 eggs per day. While lice is highly contagious, it doesn't spread disease or other illnesses. The most common symptom is an itchy scalp, but some people don't feel any symptoms at all.
Super lice aren't new - they've been reported in the US since 2000, but a study released last year by Kyong S. Yoon, PhD, assistant professor in the Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences Program at Southern Illinois University, reported the super lice have spread to at least 25 states.
The Centers for Disease Control say lice is spread by having close contact with a person who has lice and it's actually uncommon for lice to transfer from sharing combs or clothing.