Pigs get lice from other pigs. Swine lice are species specific and cannot live on any other animals or humans. Lice are identified by their size, body shape, movement, and the sticky eggs left in the pig's hairs.
Identifying Lice
The lice are grayish-brown with black edges and will most often be located in the following body areas: folds of skin around the neck, jowl, and flanks, and on the inside of the legs. The nits (eggs) may also be observed attached to individual hairs, especially in the areas mentioned above.
Two of the simplest remedies are crude petroleum in dipping vats and kerosene-oil emul- sion applied by hand. Both are effective in killing hog lice and their eggs.
Pig lice. Haematopinus suis is the louse that affects pigs. It has piercing and sucking mouthparts and is greyish-brown in colour with brown to black markings, although may take on a blueish appearance after feeding.
While vinegar does not help in suffocating adult lice, it does prevent the nits (eggs) from latching on to the hair strands. Combined with careful combing, using the fine metal comb, it's an excellent and simple method for removing the nits.
They found vinegar was actually the least effective treatment method for getting rid of lice or suppressing the hatching of nits. Vinegar wasn't the only home remedy that didn't do well. No home treatment prevented lice from laying eggs. Even with prolonged exposure, most home remedies were unable to kill nits.
Domestic pigs are infested with only one species of louse, Haematopinus suis, the hog louse. This very large (5–6 mm) sucking louse is common on domestic swine worldwide.
Transmission of the mite from infected domestic animals to humans occurs during close contact and causes intense pruritus and irritation in affected humans due to a hypersensitivity reaction against the mites and their products. Young children and immunocompromised adults are more susceptible to the disease [10].
Luckily, lice are largely host specific, living on one species or several closely related species (merckvetmanual.com) and for this reason, don't transfer from one species to another. In other words, the lice that live, feed and breed on your pet can't survive on humans (and vice versa).
Pigs can also be prone to parasitic skin infections such as mites. These mites can burrow under your pig's skin and make them terribly itchy, in turn causing them to scratch that itch and further irritate the skin. These infections can come from a variety of parasites and may look very different from one another.
Bathing: Pigs are so naturally clean that baths are required only occasionally. That's not to say your pig cannot enjoy more frequent bathing.
Lice are commonly found in hidden areas, such as the inside or behind the ear and in folds on the neck. Infested pigs will often display pruritus, and anemia can be observed in the most severely affected animals.
The mite can affect people, but they do not survive on us as we are a dead end host. The most effective treatment is an injectable Avermectin (such as Panomec/Ivomec) which is available on prescription. Because of the life cycle of the mite, several injections every 2-3 weeks may be required.
Sarcoptic mange is a common disease and represents the most important ectoparasitic disease of swine. Sarcoptic mange occurs in many other species but the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var suis is specific only for swine.
Some mite species from infested animals can also transfer to humans. Typically, mites from animals cause an allergic reaction in the skin, resulting in redness, irritation and intense itching. The mites may cause you to itch for several days, but you do not need to be treated with special medication to kill the mites.
If an animal with “mange” has close contact with a person, the animal mite can get under the person's skin and cause temporary itching and skin irritation. However, the animal mite cannot reproduce on a person and will die on its own in a couple of days.
Head lice, which is a specific species called Pediculus humanus capitis, only affects humans. In other words, while lice may spread from one human family member to another, it's impossible that your pet was the cause of the problem.
Head lice are obligate parasites. This means that they cannot survive without a human host. This species can live only on human hosts, so you cannot get them from your dog, cat, guinea pig, or any other kind of furry pet you may have.
Lice spread via direct contact between animals but are species-specific, meaning they cannot be transmitted across species. Lice that affect cattle cannot affect a horse, sheep or goat or vice versa. And the best news: lice that affect livestock cannot infest humans.
Permethrin lotion 1% is approved by the FDA for the treatment of head lice. Permethrin is safe and effective when used as directed. Permethrin kills live lice but not unhatched eggs.
Tea tree oil appears to be able to kill some live lice (at least when used in conjunction with lavender oil), however we know that over-the-counter lice treatments are far more effective at killing live lice and getting rid of the eggs once an infestation has occurred.
Vinegar contains properties that kill and get rid of nits and lice. This mixture should be applied directly to the whole scalp. Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of warm water. Next, distribute this mixture onto the scalp and cover your hair with a hair cap.
You can use tea tree oil as a spray or mix it with coconut oil. The combination of olive and tea tree oils nourishes the scalp and reduces head lice. Lavender oil, vodka, or rubbing alcohol mixed with tea tree oil work best for head lice.