Head lice from the Magic

[beef5stew]

Unfortunately my DD6 came back from our Disney Cruise on the Magic with Head Lice. I dont know if it came from the kids club or the bunk ( she claimed the top bunk) but my DS8 did not have any. anyone else ever have this issue?


T

 

[anricat]

We had head lice in October shortly after cruising on the Magic, however, the head lice place that I called to get treatment from said that by the time lice is caught (read: hatching and moving) that the nits were laid 2-4 weeks earlier. So I doubt we got it on the ship. I did let everyone from the meet thread know. Nobody else responded that they had any.

It sort of freaked me out at first, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. I had them too. We got treatment, ran all the bedding through the wash and set aside all the stuffies from the bed for 24 hours and then we were golden.

 

[Sparkie]

Head Lice is more often passed from person to person. It has nothing to do with cleanliness. Lice actually prefer clean hair. You can get transmission from pillows and such but it is due to a stray louse that came off a person, or a "nit" ie egg attached to a stray hair. Like a previous poster said, if you are seeing live, fully mature lice then you are 2-4 weeks in the life cycle. The more common place to become aquainted with our "itchy friends" is school.

 

[Amanda129]

If it's something anyone is concerned about, just take tea tree oil with you. A few drops rubbed into the scalp is a natural repellent, plus it smells good

 

[beef5stew]

We were on the March 6 cruise but only noticed them this week, so the timeline matches up. we reported it to the school but they said they had no other reports. I cant say it was definitely the cruise, but it is the most likely scenario.

 

[Peg S]

My head itches just reading this!

Glad you got it under control.

 

[tee11]

hmm, did you stay anywhere before or after the cruise? or where was DD that DS was not? Just trying to think what could have happened... I'm sorry you had to deal with this!

 

[jdb in AZ]

We were on the March 6 cruise but only noticed them this week, so the timeline matches up. we reported it to the school but they said they had no other reports. I cant say it was definitely the cruise, but it is the most likely scenario.

Did you fly to/from the cruise? If so, she could have been infected by the head rest on the plane.

FWIW my DGD found head lice when she was on the Magic when she was 9. Her bro also got it. They must have been infected before the cruise, but after getting the medicated shampoo from the ship's doctor, neither one of them wanted to go back in the kids' clubs. Which is probably just as well.

 

[AC & Savy's Mom]

We are headed to the Magic next month, and I'm itchy already!! Any chance you want to report which cabin you were in?

 

[BellsFam]

We were on the March 6 cruise but only noticed them this week, so the timeline matches up. we reported it to the school but they said they had no other reports. I cant say it was definitely the cruise, but it is the most likely scenario.

Agree with PPs it's doubtful it actually came from the cruise...

DD got it, live bugs when we saw it, 4 weeks she had it and apparently it went unnoticed which is shocking to me...

 

[angelinaxox]

Yikes. I am going on the Magic in five days and I already am feeling itchy just reading about it. I teach Kindergarten and have had kids in my classroom out with it over the years so I am always concerned about getting it. Definitely don't want to get it while on vacation.

 

[lorimay]

My daughter puts gel in my granddaughters hair everyday before school then up in a pony tail.
The gel keeps them away it makes the hair hard and stiff, they like clean soft hair.

 

[MunFam]

My daughter puts gel in my granddaughters hair everyday before school then up in a pony tail.
The gel keeps them away it makes the hair hard and stiff, they like clean soft hair.

We also do the slicked back hair and pinned up. Then I spray her with a tea tree oil and spearmint oil spray. We also use the Fairies Shampoo and Conditioner to help prevent lice. So far, so good.

 

[Jennifer777]

We got a notice on our door while on the Fantasy last year that a child who was at the Oceaneers Club the same time as our daughter was found to have head lice. We checked and checked but our daughter never got anything. As others mentioned, it's highly unlikely to get them from a bed. They usually transfer from person to person and they can jump so it could be your daughter was playing or in close enough proximity to a child in the club who had them. Even if that is where they came from, the lice don't infest the club. They live on the on the people who had infestations there so unless a CM on the Magic who also has them, the lice left the ship when the infested kids left. I wouldn't be concerned at all about cruising on the Magic tomorrow. Just teach your kids to keep their hair away from others (no hugging), not to share hats, hairbrushes or dress up clothes. And now I'm itching too.

 

[AC & Savy's Mom]

We got a notice on our door while on the Fantasy last year that a child who was at the Oceaneers Club the same time as our daughter was found to have head lice. We checked and checked but our daughter never got anything. As others mentioned, it's highly unlikely to get them from a bed. They usually transfer from person to person and they can jump so it could be your daughter was playing or in close enough proximity to a child in the club who had them. Even if that is where they came from, the lice don't infest the club. They live on the on the people who had infestations there so unless a CM on the Magic who also has them, the lice left the ship when the infested kids left. I wouldn't be concerned at all about cruising on the Magic tomorrow. Just teach your kids to keep their hair away from others (no hugging), not to share hats, hairbrushes or dress up clothes. And now I'm itching too.

Lice are not able to jump, so you'd have to be actually touching the person or something that person had on in order for lice to go from one person to another.

 

[Jennifer777]

Lice are not able to jump, so you'd have to be actually touching the person or something that person had on in order for lice to go from one person to another.

I stand corrected. Crazy, because I've heard this a number of times but I am SO relieved it's not true. Now I'm researching lice and itching even more.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Lice are not able to jump, so you'd have to be actually touching the person or something that person had on in order for lice to go from one person to another.

Which is why kids are told not to share combs, brushes, hats, head scarves at camp/school.

 

[JMHDisney]

I doubt anyone is getting them from the bed. It would be nearly impossible. They are dead within 24 hours if they aren't on a head. It is rampant in most elementary schools so it doesn't really surprise me that some kids in the kids club on any cruise might have it. My son has had it twice and I keep telling him if it happens again, his head is getting shaved! Since the last time, we spray each morning with a preventative spray. The kid who sitS next to him in class has lice though so I fear it's just a matter of time. I itch just thinking about it!

 

[AC & Savy's Mom]

I stand corrected. Crazy, because I've heard this a number of times but I am SO relieved it's not true. Now I'm researching lice and itching even more.

I had a student bring her journal up to me during writing and say "This just fell off my head." The one on the paper was actually really slow...which both grossed me out completely and made me feel oddly at ease. Luckily the school nurse confirmed that they don't jump, so I wasn't too nervous. But still...EW!!

 

[JMHDisney]

I had a student bring her journal up to me during writing and say "This just fell off my head." The one on the paper was actually really slow...which both grossed me out completely and made me feel oddly at ease. Luckily the school nurse confirmed that they don't jump, so I wasn't too nervous. But still...EW!!

Ew is right! They don't jump but I have seen them crawl pretty fast! Disgusting little things! I long for the days when kids weren't allowed back into school if they had them. In our state, they don't get kicked out for having them so they spread like crazy and a lot of family's just shampoo with RID which does nothing since most lice are resistant to it. So it's a constant problem. So gross!