Russian agency says selfies are behind the spread of lice


A government agency in Russia is warning young people that selfies lead to just one thing: Head lice.
Kursk's regional department of Rospotrebnadzor, which is responsible for consumer rights and human well-being, says that people cramming together for a photo allows lice to jump around from head to head, and that selfies are the main reason why lice spread.
This isn't the first time the agency has given odd advice; former head Gennady Onishchenko once said crows should be killed because they are "feathered wolves which spread bird flu." The public is paying no mind, with online commenters mocking the warning. "This is wonderful!!" one commenter said at the Lenta news site, the BBC reports. "Onishchenko's work still flourishes — the more bonkers the reason, the better."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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