What skin disease is caused by lice?

Body lice can transmit diseases like: Typhus: A bacterial infection that causes a skin rash, fever and headaches. Trench fever: A bacterial infection that causes fever, weakness, dizziness, headaches and pain in your legs and back.

What does pediculosis capitis look like?

Signs and Symptoms Each louse is approximately 1–3 mm long and is whitish-gray in color. Lice crawl; they do not jump or fly. Nits are smaller, about 0.5–1 mm, white, and are firmly attached to the hair very close to the scalp. Small red bumps or sores may be seen on the scalp, neck, and shoulders.

What is the difference between scabies and pediculosis?

Lice are small insects that live on the skin. They are often connected to hair on the scalp or in the pubic area. When you have lice, it is called pediculosis. Scabies is a condition caused by mites, which are tiny, insect-like animals that dig under the skin.

What are the complications of pediculosis?

Complications

• Social embarrassment.
• Loss of school days.
• Loss of skin integrity leading to secondary bacterial infection (impetigo and pyoderma)
• Transmission of trench fever, relapsing fever, and epidemic typhus to humans (body lice only)[3]

What do body lice look like on skin?

They are generally easy to see in the seams of an infested person’s clothing, particularly around the waistline and under armpits. Body lice nits occasionally also may be attached to body hair. They are oval and usually yellow to white in color. Body lice nits may take 1–2 weeks to hatch.

How can pediculosis be diagnosed?

The diagnosis of pediculosis is best made by finding a live nymph or adult louse on the scalp or in the hair of a person. Finding numerous nits within 6 mm of the scalp is highly suggestive of active infestation. Finding nits only more than 6 mm from the scalp is only indicative of previous infestation.

What does body lice look like on skin?

What type of infection is pediculosis?

Pediculosis is infestation with the human head-and-body louse, Pediculus humanus. There are two subspecies, the head louse (P. h. capitis) and the body louse (P. h.

What kills body lice on skin?

If these measures don’t work, you can try using an over-the-counter lotion or shampoo that has 1% permethrin (Nix) or pyrethrin. If that still doesn’t work, your doctor can provide a prescription lotion. Lice-killing products can be toxic to humans, so follow the directions carefully.

How do you know if you have skin lice?

Common symptoms of a body lice infestation include:

1. intense itching (pruritus)
2. rash caused by an allergic reaction to body lice bites.
3. red bumps on the skin.
4. thickened or darkened skin, usually near the waist or groin, if the lice have been there for a long time.

Is pediculosis viral or bacterial?

Abstract. Background: Pediculus humanus capitis (head lice) belongs to the order Anoplura, which are blood-feeding ectoparasites that live on human hair. Within these insects reside symbiotic bacteria that enable the insect to flourish on dietary sources of limited nutritional value.

What causes tinea corporis?

Tinea corporis is predominantly caused by dermatophyte fungi of the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum. The anthropophilic species T. rubrum is the most common causative agent of tinea corporis worldwide including New Zealand.

What is the difference between tinea capitis and tinea corporis?

Tinea capitis is a skin infection or ringworm of the scalp caused by a fungus called dermatophytes (capitis comes from the Latin word for head). It mostly affects children. Tinea corporis is ringworm of the body (corporis means body in Latin). In wrestlers this is often called tinea gladiatorum.

What does corporis mean?

[ n ] fungal infection of nonhairy parts of the skin.