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Schools in the North Valley dealing with outbreak of super lice

Posted at 9:49 PM, Sep 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-23 01:34:46-04

Super lice is breaking out at schools in the North Valley, with one charter school seeing an epidemic of 77 cases out of 850 students. Experts say they want to warn families that the bug can’t be killed with over the counter treatments anymore because it has evolved over the years.

“When you get lice, people panic,” said Farrell Hogenauer with “Lice to Know You.” “There are bugs in your hair. It's gross.”

And lice is very common. Hogenauer says one in four children will be infected with lice in their childhood.

Currently, Hogenauer is working to treat an outbreak at a charter school in the North Valley. Hogenauer declined to identify which school, citing a  confidentiality agreement.

ABC15 was able to track down the source of the outbreak, but the school's principal would not go on camera about what was going on. The principal did confirm to ABC15 that all parents at the school have received a notice. School officials said kids will be sent home if they have "knits," otherwise known as eggs, on their hair.

“I can honestly say I felt I did the best I could with the combing, but it wasn't enough,” said Jodie Sichrovsky, a mother of five.

Sichrovsky went to the experts after her kids caught the bug. She was warned that super lice has evolved over the years.

“The chemicals don't kill the bugs so you still need to comb everything out,” said Hogenauer. “Between 12 and 24 hours they start to die.”

Once the bugs are out kids and parents can breathe a sigh of relief.

“We knew leaving here that she was done. and that was the best feeling,” said Sichrovsky.