Please share the following information with faculty, staff, students, and external groups who may have been affected.
I am writing to update you about the situation that occurred in the Center for Health Sciences (CHS) building last week.
Evidence of head and body lice was found in one of the building’s lecture halls. Upon confirmation of the presence of lice — and out of an abundance of caution — all lecture halls at CHS that may have been impacted were closed and received two chemical treatments to exterminate lice and two deep cleanings by our custodial staff. The exterminator who helped us address this situation has advised that the lecture halls have been fully treated, and they have been returned to regular use.
We share your concerns about this incident and want to provide you with some useful information and resources in the event you may have been exposed.
If you believe you may have been exposed to lice, please contact your primary care physician. If you are a UCLA student, you can also contact a health care provider at the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center by calling (310) 825-4073.
Further inquiries may be directed to UCLA Environment, Health & Safety Environmental Specialist Jose Ubeda at atjubeda@ehs.ucla.edu or via phone at (310) 569-5111, or Curtis P. Plotkin, EH&S AVC, at cplotkin@ehs.ucla.edu, (310) 206-6544.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide information on their site about the treatment and prevention of head and body lice. Signs and symptoms of head or body lice may include:
- Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair.
- Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to louse bites on the head or body.
- Sores on the head or body caused by scratching.
I want to express my gratitude to our colleagues across departments and various schools for their quick response, which allowed us to address this issue promptly.
Sincerely,
Curtis P. Plotkin
Assistant Vice Chancellor,
Environment, Health & Safety
