How are lice transmitted from a child? - briefly
Lice spread mainly by direct head‑to‑head contact with an infested child, and secondarily by sharing items such as combs, hats, hair accessories, pillows, or bedding that have come into contact with the scalp. Maintaining personal hygiene and avoiding the exchange of these objects interrupts transmission.
How are lice transmitted from a child? - in detail
Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) survive only on human scalp, feeding several times a day on blood. Transmission occurs when viable nymphs or adult insects move from one host to another.
- Direct head‑to‑head contact during play, sports, or cuddling provides the most efficient pathway. The insects crawl across hair shafts within seconds.
- Sharing personal items such as combs, brushes, hats, helmets, hair accessories, or headphones transfers eggs (nits) and live lice that cling to the objects.
- Contact with contaminated surfaces—pillows, bedding, upholstered furniture, or car seats—can lead to infestation when a child brushes the head against the material, picking up displaced insects.
- Close family environments increase risk because children frequently touch each other’s heads and exchange clothing or towels.
- Group settings (preschools, elementary schools, camps) concentrate many children in close proximity, raising the likelihood of head contact and shared equipment.
Lice cannot survive more than 24–48 hours off a human host, limiting the role of environmental reservoirs. Eggs hatch in 7–10 days; newly emerged nymphs become mobile and capable of spreading within a few days, accelerating the cycle in densely populated child groups. Prompt detection and removal of infested individuals, combined with washing of personal items in hot water (≥50 °C) or sealing them in plastic bags for two weeks, disrupts transmission pathways.