Transcript Head and Body Lice

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HEAD AND BODY LICE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Order: Phthiraptera
Suborder: Anoplura (sucking lice)
 Pediculus humanus capitis
 Common

name: head lice
Pediculus humanus humanus
 Common
name: body lice
Obligate ectoparasites of humans
 Direct Life Cycle

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Both Head and Body Lice found worldwide
HOST

Definitive Host: both head and body lice infest
humans
 Head
Lice most commonly infests:
 Children
ages 3-11
 Females
 Body


Lice most commonly infests:
all races and ages, especially those with poor hygiene
Intermediate Host: none (direct lifecycle)
MORPHOLOGY

Nits (eggs)
Oval-shaped
 0.8 mm by 0.3 mm


Nymphs


Look like the adult form about the size of a pin head
Adults
About size of sesame seed
 Six legs (each with claws)
 Wingless, dorsoventrally flattened
 Eyes – reduced or none

MORPHOLOGY CONTINUED

Head Lice


Males 1-1.5 mm
Females 1.8-2mm

Body Lice


Males 2-3 mm
Females 2-4 mm
TRANSMISSION
Direct contact with person already infested
 Contact with infested fomites:

 Wearing
clothing worn by infested person
 Using infested combs, brushes, towels
 Lying on a bed, couch, pillow, etc that was recently
in contact with an infested person
PATHOGENESIS
Not life threatening unless the lice carries a
disease-causing organism
 Progression of Symptoms

 Bite
causes a red papule to develop at the site
 Rash caused by reaction to bite
 Pruritis (intense itching)
 Itching can lead to open sore and secondary
bacterial infection
Rash from lice infestation
Head Lice Bites
Abscess caused by lice
infestation

Head Lice
 Causes:
plica polonica
 Tangled,
matted hair shafts
 Hair becomes moist and sticky

Body Lice
 Causes:
 Dark
Vagabond’s Disease
and thickened skin
 Results from chronic, heavy infestation
DISEASES

Three diseases transmitted by body lice:
 Typhus
 Fatal
disease for louse
 Passed in feces of louse and enter when skin scratched
 Trench
fever
 Not
pathogenic to louse so carry for life
 Passed in feces of louse and enter when skin scratched
 Relapsing
 Only
fever
enter human when louse is crushed during
scratching
DIAGNOSIS

Head lice
 Live
nymphs or adults on the scalp or in the hair
 Numerous nits within 6 mm of scalp
 Shine light on scalp, nits and lice appear as yellowgreen fluorescent spots

Body lice
 Nits

or crawling lice on seams of clothing
Usually can be seen with the naked eye, but
sometimes a magnifying glass is necessary
Head louse
Body Lice
TREATMENT FOR HEAD LICE
 Apply
Pediculicide to hair, then comb through
hair with fine-toothed nit comb
 Over the counter medications:
 Pyrethrins
and Permethrin lotion - only kills lice not
nits
 Prescription
 Malathion
strength:
lotion
 Lindane shampoo
TREATMENT FOR BODY LICE
 Improving
personal hygiene
 regular
change of clean clothes
 Clothing, bedding, etc washed in hot water and dried on
high setting
 Sometimes
use pediculicide
CONTROL AND PREVENTION

Head lice
 Don’t
share hair items
 Avoid head-on-head contact

Body lice
 Bathe
regularly
 Change into properly washed clothes at least
once a week

DO NOT SHARE ITEMS WITH AN INFESTED
PERSON!!!!!!!
REFERENCES





http://dermatology.about.com/cs/headlice/a/headlic
e.htm
http://www.dhpe.org/infect/lice.html
http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/html/headlice.htm
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/lice/article_em.htm
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdped.shtml