‘Super Lice’ Threaten the Hudson Valley

Just in time for the beginning of school, a drug resistant strain of "super lice" have been discovered in our area. Here's what you can do to protect your family.

We all remember those dreaded lice breakouts from our school years. Kids would line up at the nurse's office and get their heads checked. If she discovered lice, it was a couple of days off from school and a few rounds with some smelly shampoo. No big deal, right?

Well, thanks to those over-the-counter treatments, those pesky lice have become much stronger. Drug resistant strains of lice have been found in over 25 states. And, according, to a report from the Today Show, they're right in our backyard.

50 to 90 percent of the lice found in the New York area were found to be resistant to drugs that are supposed to kill them. That means these "super lice" have evolved, making them virtually invincible. Many other states are in even worse shape, with 100 percent of the lice no longer responding to over-the-counter treatments.

So what are you supposed to do if you get lice? Experts say that traditional treatments may still work, as long as the directions are followed and children don't wash them out too soon. But if over-the-counter medicines fail to get rid of these stronger lice, there are still prescription medications that work. Experts fear, however, that it's only a matter of time before evolution takes over and lice become resistant to those as well.

Many families rely on home remedies, such as olive oil or mayonnaise. There's no proof that they actually work, however. As for using lice combs, there's also no evidence that they work either. Some parents opt for hot-air treatments that kill the lice by subjecting them to extreme temperatures. The only problem with that is that your child's head is also subjected to very hot air for at least a half hour, something most kids won't tolerate.

Luckily, there is one sure-fire method for getting rid of lice. It works every single time and there's no fear of lice ever becoming resistant to it: shave it all off. Who knows, maybe the super lice will give way to a whole new fashion trend?