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Lice comb (Photo: Joanna Ibarra/Wikimedia Commons)
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Lice comb (Photo: Joanna Ibarra/Wikimedia Commons)
Monday, 29 August 2016 - 13:00
Selfies linked to high school students' lice outbreak:
Head lice are a bigger problem in high schools in the Netherlands than thought, according to a study by national health institute RIVM. The researchers attributes this to high school students' behavior, such as taking selfies and cuddling, RTL Nieuws reports.
"I think it's explainable by the behavior of high school students. I think they cuddle a lot. And when taking selfies, the young people's hair is in contact with each other, through which lice are transmitted", head lice expert at the RIVM Diseree Beaujan said to the broadcaster.
Primary schools are still the main grounds for head lice, with 28 percent of primary school children having lice. But it is also an increasing problem in high schools, with 19 percent of students struggling with the creatures. Only 17 percent of toddlers under the age of four and 11 percent of adults deal with head lice, according to the study.
The RIVM is calling for a head lice information campaign focused on high school students. The RIVM also advises parents to check their high school age kids' hair for lice periodically.