In pursuant to WAC 246-101-101 Department of Health removed Lice as being a contagious disease. Which means Lice does not have to be reported to Department of Health or parent's when an outbreak occurs.
The school districts are supposed to implement a policy that meets the guidelines under WAC 170-300-0205 subsection (h) which was repleaded last year 2018. Such WAC 170-300-0205(h) clearly states that children with head lice need to be excluded within 24 hours of finding such lice, until such matter has been properly treated.
WAC 246-101-101 removed having to notify DOH of a lice outbreaks it also states that schools shouldn't inform other parent's of such infestation. (That is not okay)
WAC 170-300-0205 clearly stated that children need to be excluded from school until they have been treated for at least 24 hours or an implemented care plan is in place.
Not requiring parent's to prove that their child has been treated whether naturally or with medication is not acceptable methods in accordance to hearsay rules in the court of law.
According to Headlice.org sponsored by the national Pediculosis Association dated 2017- Pediculosis Capitis is the medical term for an infestation of headlice. It is itself an infectious disease. Head Lice are highly communicable parasites specific to humans. They require blood meals to survive and have been associated with Various infectious diseases including Ricketsial diseases.
A healthy standard for children's and their families according to the National Pediculosis Association recommends the " No Nit Policy" as. Public health standard intended to keep children lice free, nit free and in school.
The concerns now lie whether or not the children who have been reported with lice have been treated in some shape form or fashion and can such treatment be verified thru an individual care plan? The purpose of my concerns is to address such matter before it gets any further out of hand as lice have infested my children's school and I was not notified of such infestation( how are we supposed to prevent future lice outbreaks).
Although such WAC 246-101-101 removes such information as Lice being no longer listed as a contagious disease under DOH that does not mean children shouldn't be excluded until treatment is in place, it means that notification notices do not have to be sent out to DOH or parent's.
