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"Super-strains" of lice found in Florida

Posted at 6:31 PM, Feb 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-29 21:40:46-05

Scientists say there are more than a hundred "super-strains" of lice and Florida is a hot spot for them.

They're becoming resistant to over-the-counter treatments for the blood sucking bugs, according to a recent study.

Maggie Ross dealt with the bugs recently, after her 7-year old daughter came home with them, "I noticed the night before she was scratching her head. Ok, kids scratch their heads."

Then, after her bath that night, Maggie noticed her daughter's hair was covered with them.

"There were bugs everywhere. There were black bugs crawling everywhere. I freaked out," Maggie said.

Maggie said she put all of her children's clothes in the dryer, and treated her daughter with an over-the-counter treatment.

After that, she said she covered her hair with olive oil and kept it on overnight. She then used vinegar to help making the combing process easier while she removed the eggs.

"Every single kid gets it. There's nothing you can do to stop it. If they're going to get it, they're going to get it," Maggie said.

Some people are using alternative methods to treat their kids if the over-the-counter treatments don't work.

"More people try something at home first and when they find that it's a losing battle, it takes a couple of weeks but they end up here," said Lara Paradiso of Lice Clinics of America.

She opened her business months ago after she got lice from her daughter.

"I literally wanted to set my hair on fire when I found out I had bugs on my head," she said.

Lara said 85% of mothers are like her and get lice from their children.

She said 30% of fathers get it, too, from their kids.

Her clinic uses a treatment called Air Alle, which dehydrates the eggs and kills them in one session, according to Lara.

The treatments cost around $200.

Experts suggest teaching your kids about "personal space" so they avoid the head-to-head contact that spreads lice. They also say it's important children don't share their hair care products like brushes and hair ties.