Body lice are tiny, flat, wingless insects, 2-5mm long (like a sesame seed), typically tan to grayish-white, with six legs ending in claws, that live in clothing seams and crawl onto skin to feed on blood, leaving behind itchy rashes and tiny oval eggs (nits) stuck to clothing fibers. They are easily confused with dandruff and are usually found in areas where clothing is tight, like waistbands and armpits, rather than directly on the body.
The symptoms of body lice infestation are scratch marks, hives, eczema and a red rash on shoulders and other areas covered with clothes. Pthiriasis, or pubic lice (crab lice) infestation, results in continued itching in the pubic area, a rash, and sometimes discoloration of skin from continued feeding by crab lice.
Adult body lice are tan to grayish-white in color, have six legs, and are about the size of a sesame seed.
Body lice spread in unclean living conditions where hygiene is poor and sometimes if spaces are crowded. Body lice can be common in homeless people, who often cannot bathe, shower, or change clothes regularly. You can get body lice by coming in close contact with someone who has body lice, or by wearing their clothes.
A tickling feeling on your skin. Itchy and irritated skin. Groups of small, discolored (red, purple, brown) dots or bites. They may grow bigger and develop a lighter discolored ring around the outside.
The only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice. You can do this by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb). You can buy these online or at pharmacies.
Lice are parasites that bite the scalp every few hours to feed on blood. The bites from lice can make your scalp itchy. Itching is the most common symptom of a head lice infestation. You also may feel like something is moving in your hair.
In the past, kids with head lice were kept home from school. But now doctors don't recommend these "no-nit" policies. In most cases, a child who has lice should stay at school until the end of the day, go home and get treatment, and return to school the next day.
Adult body lice are small, only 2.3 – 3.6 mm in length (about the size of a sesame seed). Improved hygiene and access to regular changes of clean clothes is the only treatment needed for body lice infestations; however, in some cases pediculicides are recommended.
A person that has body lice should shower and regularly change into clean clothes to get rid of body lice and keep them from coming back. Infested clothing, bedding, and towels should be washed in hot water (at least 130°F) and then placed in a clothes dryer on the hot cycle to kill any lice and nits.
To treat body lice, first bathe with soap and water. That and washing clothes and bedding in hot water may be all the treatment you need. If you still have body lice after taking these steps, try lotions you can get without a prescription that have 1% permethrin (Nix) or pyrethrin (Rid).
Body lice exist worldwide but usually affects people who live in crowded conditions. They affect people without access to regular bathing and clean clothes. They can spread quickly among people experiencing homelessness, refugees and survivors of war or natural disasters.
The most common symptom of body lice is intense itching. There may also be a rash, which is caused by an allergic reaction to the bites. The itching causes some people to scratch until they get sores. Sometimes these sores can become infected with bacteria or fungi.
Body lice are tiny bugs that can live in the seams of clothing or bedding (sheets, pillows, and blankets). They are hard to find on the body. It's much easier to see lice or their eggs (nits) on clothes.
If you have body lice for a long time, your skin may change. It can thicken or change color. This is more likely to happen where clothing seams touch your body.
Laundry Detergent For Lice
Body lice infestation is found worldwide, but generally is limited to persons who live under conditions of crowding and poor hygiene and who do not have access to regular bathing and changes of clean clothes.
Due to their blood feeding behaviour, body lice can transmit a great variety of diseases, such as epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), louse-borne relapsing fever (caused by Borrelia recurrentis), or trench fever (caused by Bartonella quintana) [3].