‘Super' Lice Plague Kids and Parents - East Idaho News

‘Super’ Lice Plague Kids and Parents

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Getty 102313 Lice?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1382552435943iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — In schools across the country, kids are becoming infected with a new breed of “super lice.”

The little pests have developed harder exo-skeletons and lay eggs at different times, so they are not easily killed by over-the-counter lice shampoo.

“They call it ‘super’ lice, because it’s kind of like antibiotics to humans when a product is misused,” said Maria Botham, owner of the Hair Fairies, a children’s hair salon for lice removal. “[When] overused on a bug. You’re building up a pretty strong bug, hence ‘super’ lice.”

As lice become more “immune” to normal lice shampoos, parents are turning to experts, such as Botham, who pick the lice from hair by hand for a price.

Approximately 12 million American children become infected with the tiny pests each year.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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