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Got an itch to scratch? Head lice cases skyrocket across East Tennessee

"It's not the schools that have lice. It's the kids in the school that have lice," experts said.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Head lice experts are warning parents in East Tennessee to take a few precautions after seeing a big increase in kids getting lice over the past few months. 

It takes one strand of hair and only three seconds for a louse to latch on. 

The Knoxville Lice Clinic says this increase is "to be expected" this time of year.

"There are times when lice are more prevalent. That would be around Halloween, when people are trying on costumes and hats and masks," said Jen Fribourg, with the clinic.

This year, Fribourg noticed the lice have been pretty widespread. She has treated people from Knoxville, to Bristol, to Cleveland and everywhere in-between.

"It's just so much more common because they are so much harder to get rid of,"  Fribourg said.

10News received word of lice cases Wednesday morning at Foothills Elementary School in Maryville. However, the supervisor of the school's nurses said "Foothills Elementary School does not have an issue with head lice." 

The Knoxville Lice Clinic agreed -- saying schools are not to blame for any sporadic outbreaks of lice.

"It's not the school that has lice. It's the kids in the school that have lice," Fribourg said.

While in the past it was more common to hear about students being sent home for lice due to "no-nit" policies, that's not the case today.

"Students diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun," the school said.

This is in-line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said lice "are not considered a health hazard," and said schools do not need to send kids home early even if they discover nits, or lice eggs, in a child's hair.

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and National Association of School Nurses have advocated for getting rid of "no-nit" policies, saying most nits usually don't hatch and the burden of kids being absent from school far outweighs any risks associated with head lice.

Fribourg said she has never seen anyone sick because of head lice.

"The worst that it's going to do is give you an infection from scratching, and it's not the lice that are doing it. It's your fingernails," Fribourg said.

However, there are ways to prevent your child from getting head lice in the first place. 

Fribourg said tea tree shampoos and oils aren't all that effective at fighting off lice, saying there is no scientific evidence to back up online claims.

The CDC said over-the-counter medicated lice shampoos are effective, but people should avoid any conditioners -- including shampoo with conditioner -- before using the medicine and to follow the instructions on the box. Typically these medicines tell you not to wash your hair for up to two days after applying the treatment in order to ensure it can kill off all the lice and nits. 

Additionally, Fribourg recommends keeping your hair in an up-do, or as close to your head as possible. Braids and buns are the most effective. 

Finally, once someone has lice, it is likely not going away until it's treated or every nit is combed out. 

The clinic is a resource for anyone facing head lice; however, there are also at-home kits that include combs. Tutorials are available online.

Here are the other county-school district head lice policies:

Anderson County Schools said if a nurse finds lice on a student, the student's parents are notified and they are encouraged to start treatment when the child gets home from school. Their policy is based on the CDC guidelines.

Blount County Schools' said it no longer has a policy for lice, just a procedure. It follows CDC guidelines and uses a common-sense approach. The district said if a student is miserable and cannot concentrate due to lice and itching, the parent is called to pick them up.

Campbell County students with lice are not removed from class, according to the policy online.

Claiborne County students with lice are sent home with a note the day they learn the student has the parasite. They can not return to school until they prove the student has been treated with a pediculicide product or has a satisfactory examination by a school health official. 

Cocke County's policy said it does not take kids out of class but they also can't return to class until they prove they've been treated. 

Cumberland County's school board policy states it removes students with lice from class and isolates them from other children. 

Grainger County students are sent home with a note and can't return until they prove they've been treated.

Hamblen County students are sent home immediately, according to the policy online

Jefferson County sends students home but there is some flexibility if parents can't pick them up right away. 

Knox County Schools doesn't take students out of class if they have lice, the policy said. Once live lice are discovered students may return to the classroom and be monitored by the classroom teacher to prevent the student from having close contact (head-to-head) with other children for the remainder of the school day.

Loudon County notifies the parents by sending home a note with the child. The student can't return until they can prove they've been treated or checked out by a school health official.  

Morgan County school nurses make the decision on whether to send the student home when they learn they have lice. 

Roane County Schools does not send students home when they have lice, according to its policy.

Scott County students are sent home with a note and can't return until they prove they've been treated.

Sevier County does not send kids home. According to the policy, those students can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun.

Union County Schools also sends kids home at the end of the day with a note and they can't return until they've been treated. 

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