Body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis) are small blood-sucking insects that live inside clothing, particularly the seams. Body lice shouldn’t be confused with head lice (that infest the scalp) and pubic lice (that infest the pubic hair). They are another species of louse. Body lice can spread from one person to another when the environmental conditions are crowded and unhygienic. Unlike head lice, body lice can transmit diseases such as typhus.
Symptoms of body lice bites
The bite of a body louse has certain characteristics including:
- Initially, a tiny red dot appears
- The dot rises into a small cyst-like lump or papule
- The area becomes inflamed
- The bite causes irritation and itchiness.
Humans are the preferred hosts
Mature lice live exclusively inside clothing. Their strong grasping claws allow them to move through clothing and against the skin. They feed often at any time of the day or night, but more frequently when the host is still (for example, lying down). When not feeding, the tubular and toothed feeding parts of the body louse are neatly collapsed inside the jaw. To feed, the body louse typically chooses a site where the skin is soft and creased and close to clothing, such as the armpit. The feeding parts extend out of the jaw and the insect bites into the skin and sucks blood. The insect’s grey body takes on a darkened colour as the blood is ingested.
Common hiding spots
Body louse eggs (nits) are small, white and oval-shaped. Lice lay their eggs in the seams of any clothing worn next to the skin, such as underwear. A special gluey secretion anchors each egg to clothing fibres, or sometimes to body hairs. The female lives for around four weeks and lays approximately eight eggs per day. The eggs take five to 14 days to hatch, depending on the availability of the host’s body heat. For instance, it will take longer for the eggs to hatch if the infested item of clothing is removed at night and the eggs are deprived of continuous warmth.
Transmission methods
Body lice tend to be transferred from one person to another when the environmental conditions are unhygienic and overcrowded. Direct contact with an affected person or their personal belongings can spread the lice from person to person. For example, homeless people and populations in areas of natural disaster are prone to body lice infestations because their clothes are not washed often and they may come in contact with each other when seeking warmth at night. In close quarters, some of the body lice from one person simply crawl across to the next. It is also thought that these parasites can be spread by contact with infested bedding and furniture.
Treatment options
The body louse and head louse look very similar, which means identification is required by a trained professional in a laboratory setting. (It is comparatively easy to identify pubic lice because they are different in appearance to either body or head lice.)
Where to get help
Things to remember
- Body lice are small blood-sucking insects that live inside clothing, particularly the seams.
- People who live in unhygienic and crowded conditions are most susceptible to body lice infestations.
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