Lice Clinics of America Medical Director Comments On Airline Ban of Family with Head Lice
Dr. Krista Lauer, MD, medical director of Lice Clinics of America—the nation’s largest network of head lice removal clinics—commented on the recent controversy surrounding the removal of a family from an airliner due to the presence of head lice on a child.
Clay Travis, a lawyer and Fox Sports analyst from Nashville, claimed his entire family was “banned from travel” on Delta Air Lines on July 15 after lice were found on his son’s head. When their flight from Paris landed in Minneapolis, the Travis family was not permitted to board their connecting flight to Nashville.
“The incident highlights the misunderstanding and confusion surrounding head lice that causes families so much stress,” Dr. Lauer said. “Lice aren’t ‘contagious’ like an airborne virus,” she said. “They can only spread from head-to-head contact. There was little risk of lice spreading from a child to another airline passenger.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that the risk of lice spreading apart from head-to-head contact is extremely low. “Head lice are spread by direct contact with the hair of an infested person. Anyone who comes in head-to-head contact with someone who already has head lice is at greatest risk. Spread by contact with clothing (such as hats, scarves, coats) or other personal items (such as combs, brushes, or towels) used by an infested person is uncommon. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.”
“The social stigma surrounding head lice is damaging to parents and children alike,” Dr. Lauer said. “Lice are an inconvenience but they represent no serious health problems. Most schools in the United States no longer even require students to miss school due to lice.”
Lice Clinics of America provides screenings, diagnosis, and treatment options for people with head lice, and is the exclusive provider of the AirAllé device, an FDA-cleared medical device clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs (nits). Using carefully controlled, heated air, the device dehydrates lice and eggs, eliminating an infestation without pesticides in about an hour.
With more than 170 U.S. clinics and 120 international clinics, Lice Clinics of America is the largest network of professional head lice treatment centers in the world. Lice Clinics of America is owned by Larada Sciences, Inc. For more information, please visit www.liceclinicsofamerica.com.
