Over the past 100 years, medical research has found a cure for almost all of the most dangerous childhood illnesses. Children no longer need die from measles, mumps or polio. However, some complaints still persist - the common cold and head lice are two still to be conquered.

The human louse, a small bug that lives on human blood, causes head lice. Similar in nature to bugs that infect animals like fleas and ticks, the louse can live only on humans and is only able to hang on to places with hair, thus we see lice on humans most commonly as pubic lice and head lice.

The behavior of children, rather than how clean or dirty they are, is one of the reasons they are so susceptible to lice. Sharing toys and hats, where lice can temporarily shelter, is common for children. Once the item comes into contact with hair, the lice move onto the hair of their new host. Also, the high density of children at schools for example, means an increase in opportunities for direct transmission of lice. Adults usually receive much greater personal space in their day-to-day lives.

Lice is simple to get rid of and usually doesn't cause much of a problem. There are many brands of shampoos made especially for the treatment of lice available at most pharmacies. The shampoos, with regular use, kill the lice and stop the eggs from hatching. In addition, using a fine-tooth comb when combing the hair removes the lice eggs.

Lice do not cause any blood infection. In reality, unlike other blood sucking insects, lice are harmless to humans from a medical perspective. The irritating itch they cause is the only major annoyance. If we are somehow able to ignore that itching, there is hardly any harm caused by lice.

People have been searching for ways to keep the lice at bay as they could be an annoying problem even after treating them. Schools and daycares are taking special measures and innovative steps to prevent the spread of lice among children. One such practice is that children are not allowed to nap by lying on mats on the floor. They are asked to keep their heads on their desk and nap with at least a foot of separation between the desks. Parents are also discouraging their children from sharing their hats, combs and putting other children's toys close to their heads. These practices will take a long way to help prevent the spread of lice.

The problem of head lice will continue to exists, primarily in children in close contact, till we change our outlook towards it. Head lice being a minor nuisance has not bothered individuals and society, in general. Even with modern sanitation and regular cleaning, people do not consider the existence of head lice as a major threat. They are satisfied with simple treatments. For a permanent solution to this problem, we need to take up drastic steps towards complete eradication of head lice, as in case of small pox and polio.

Medical researchers have controlled serious diseases but have not yet controlled common diseases like cold and head lice infestation. Human louse uses human blood for nutrition and is present in head or as pubic lice. Children are most easy prey because they acquire infestation from school and have almost no knowledge of personal hygiene. Treatment of lice is also very easy. It can be removed with shampoo. They are not infectious like mosquitoes. To control them support of parents is essential. It will keep on infesting till children remain in close contact and unless a major eradication program is undertaken.