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Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Capitol Hill Lice Epidemic That Wasn’t

posted by on June 12 at 12:45 PM

pittendrigh-lice.jpg

This just in from Slog tipper Linda:

Don’t know if any of you in the Stranger office noticed this, but as of last night, there were a few posters on poles on Pine Street (specifically near the Bellevue intersection near Bauhaus) with impressive looking “official” warnings from the Seattle Public Health Department about a “Code Orange” LICE EPIDEMIC in Seattle!!! I saw these as I walked down the Hill after SIFF, and they are still there this morning (I work a couple blocks from there). My coworkers and I found this notice alarming enough that I went to the city and county websites looking for official notices about this scratchy epidemic. Were club kids giving each other lice? SIFF-ers sitting too close to each other in darkened theaters for three weeks? Finding no info, I wrote to the county website, and got this prompt response.
Dear Linda,

Thanks for your inquiry. We are not aware of a lice epidemic in Seattle, nor has Public Health - Seattle & King County put up any flyers about a “Code Orange” lice epidemic. In fact we don’t have a color coded alert system at all for communicable diseases!

Thanks,

Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD MPH
Medical Epidemiologist, Public Health Seattle King County

Even though it turns out to be not true, you have to admit it is a unique thing to see posted on Capitol Hill. I wonder who put them up?

Dear Linda: Thank you for noticing and investigating and sharing. As for your question about who’s responsible, my only guess is someone hilarious.

RSS icon Comments

1

the response that wasn't.

Posted by ellarosa | June 12, 2008 1:06 PM
2

Dr. Kwan-Gett was my daughter's pediatrician before going to work for the county. We was great-- seems like public service is agreeing with him.

Posted by George | June 12, 2008 1:11 PM
3

A few people had lice in the 'club' scene, not really an epidemic cause I think it was barely a handful of people.

Posted by Chris | June 12, 2008 1:12 PM
4

It's viral marketing for a lice-themed novelty rock band.

Posted by Xenu, Warrior Princess | June 12, 2008 1:13 PM
5

The big ones are the juiciest.

Posted by Vince | June 12, 2008 1:31 PM
6

Are we sure those are lice? They look like bed bugs.

Posted by bohica | June 12, 2008 1:31 PM
7

Well, I know that the Dept. of Public Health doesn't have a color-coded system for communicable diseases, but dammit, they should!

Posted by Hernandez | June 12, 2008 1:36 PM
8

God, I remember when everyone who worked at the gravity bar for scabies. yuck!

Posted by catnextdoor | June 12, 2008 1:41 PM
9

Am I the only one who starts scratching my head whenever people start talking about lice?

It's good to see the old-fashioned urban legend spreading techniques are still around, after most of the action moved to email eons ago. Let me know if you see any flyers warning about the LSD on Disney stamps.

Posted by Fnarf | June 12, 2008 2:07 PM
10

@9 I've done that ever since I had lice twice as a child (twice!).

Posted by rose | June 12, 2008 3:57 PM
11

Messing with people's minds is not a joke.

It's like tagging, only less polite.

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 12, 2008 5:42 PM
12

messing with people's minds is totally a joke

Posted by froggieo | June 12, 2008 10:11 PM
13

..or a class project

Posted by mimi | June 13, 2008 10:52 PM

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