In the United States, for a period of about 30 years, lice outbreaks were uncommon. Since DDT was banned in 1973, the number of cases of lice has risen steadily. Today, there are about 12 million cases per year in the United States alone. Each year many day care centers, schools, neighborhoods, extended families, and small family units face this problem. You are not alone.
Head lice restrict their activities to unclean houses, unclean heads, and unsavory sorts of folks.
All heads of hair are equally attractive to lice. Interestingly, lice only rarely afflict African Americans living in North America. The lice in Africa and South America have adapted, however, and cases are common in every group on those continents. Cases of lice are most common in children 3 and 10 years old, but can occur at any age. They have translucent grayish-white bodies, and look a bit like a grain of rice with six legs.