LICE

Order: Anoplura
Family: Pediculidae

Dr. Norhidayu Sahimin

Tropical Infectious Diseases Research
and Education Centre (TIDREC),
Universiti Malaya
ayusahimin@um.edu.my
 Types of lice

1. Head louse -
Pediculus humanus capitis
2. Body louse -
Pediculus humanus corporis
3. Pubic louse -
Pthirus pubis
Pediculus humanus corporis is the vector for:
✓Typhus Rickettsia prowazeki
✓Relapsing fever Borrelia recurrentis
✓Trench fever Rickettsia quintana
Pediculosis – lice bites & itch, constant scratching may lead to
secondary infections
Pediculus humanus capitis and Phthirus pubis only acts as
ectoparasites of humans

Every year, about

6 to12 million people are infected & infested by lice ,
especially children
Life cycle
 MORPHOLOGY
Morphology P.h. capitis P.h. humanus Phthirus pubis
(head lice) (body lice) (pubic lice)

Adult size male 1.0 – 1.5 male 2.0 – 3.0 male 0.8 – 1.0
mm & female 1.8 mm & female 2.0 mm & female1.0 –
– 2.0 mm – 4.0 mm 1.2 mm

abdomen Elongated without Elongated without Short with lateral

lateral hairs lateral hairs hairs

legs All 3 pairs same All 3 pairs same First pair shorter
size size than the other 2

colour White-grey with Grey grey

black trims

Eggs/nits 0.8mm 0.8mm 0.6mm

HEAD LICE
Pediculus humanus capitis
 Lice Biology
✓Lice are primarily transferred from
person to person by direct contact or
by several people using the same
combs, brushes, hats, costumes,
athletic equipment, towels, or
bedding.
✓Human head lice are not found on
animals or household pets and are
not transmitted from pets to humans.
✓Lice eggs hatch within seven to 10
days.
✓Nymphs, become adults in two
weeks.
✓Only adults can lay eggs.
Baby lice (nymph)
Description of Adult Lice
✓Adult lice are about 1/8 inch
long.
✓Lice are wingless, bloodsucking
insects.
✓Lice do not have wings or
powerful jumping legs so they
Beginning to feed
move about by clinging to hairs
with claw-like legs.
✓Head lice feed every 4 to 6
hours; therefore, they must
remain in close contact with the
host.
Full of blood
 Description of Lice Eggs
✓Lice eggs are called nits.
✓Nits are oval, white-gray-tan-dark
brown cylinders about 1/16 inch
long.
✓Nits are glued to hairs very near
the scalp.
Nits glued to hair shaft
✓Older nits are found far from the
scalp due to hair growth.

White eggs glued to hair

4 Steps to Lice Eradication

1. Prevention: Inspect frequently.

2. Treatment: May include the use
of lice shampoo.
3. Treatment of Belongings: Wash
bedding and clothing in hot soapy
water. Dry using a “high heat”
cycle—bag other items.
4. Post-treatment Inspection:
Inspect individuals up to 10 days
following treatment.
 Prevention of Head Lice
❖Head lice are spread by infected people.
✓Pets cannot get or spread head lice.
✓Only people get head lice.
❖Children should not share combs, hats and personal
belongings.
• Frequent inspections are a must.
✓Search the entire head, especially the back of the head
and neck.
✓Part hair section by section.
✓Remove lice with tweezers or lice comb.
✓Be careful not to spread lice to others while inspecting.
 Option #1
Non-chemical Control

1. Remove lice and nits using a lice comb.

2. Place lice and nits in soapy water or
freeze.
3. Wash all bedding and personal
belongings in hot soapy water. Dry on
the “high heat” cycle.
4. Shave the child’s head.
5. Even a very short haircut can help
detect and remove lice.
 Option #2
Treatment with Lice Shampoo

1. Wash hair with household shampoo.

2. Completely wet hair with lice shampoo.
3. Add warm water, and leave the product on
the head for the recommended time - usually
10 minutes.
4. Rinse thoroughly with warm water while
removing any dead lice and nits.
5. Retreatment may be necessary in seven to 10
days as this kills hatching eggs.
BODY LICE
Pediculus humanus corporis
Typhus
Relapsing fever
Vagabond’s Disease

✓Body lice are associated

with, but not restricted to,
unclean people who do not
change clothing often.
✓Once infested, a person can
transmit individual body lice
through direct contact or by
sharing infested clothes or
bedding.
✓The body louse usually resides within the clothing of its host (most
commonly an adult) and only comes into contact with the skin to
feed.
✓The female body louse lays its eggs in the seams of clothing. These
eggs (nits) will then hatch within about a week to ten days. The
young body lice (nymphs) will grow and molt three times over
another week or so before becoming mature adults (approximately
2cm in length).
✓A mature body louse might live up to 10 days. A female body louse
might lay over 200 eggs during this period. The eggs of lice are very
small and are typically white to yellowish-brown.
Treatment /control

✓Body lice are usually associated

with destitute adults who regularly
sleep in their clothes.
✓Because body lice live within
clothing, the easiest method of
treating them is to wash all
clothing.
✓These clothes should be washed in
hot soapy water and dried using a
clothes dryer on the "high heat"
cycle.
PUBIC LICE
Phthirus pubis
✓Transmission of pubic lice is usually
associated with close sexual
contact.
✓During this type of close personal
contact pubic lice may be
transferred from one person to
another directly.
✓It is possible for pubic lice to be
transmitted from undergarments,
bedding, and toilet seats but this
indirect transmission is very
uncommon.
Biology

✓The pubic louse is most often

associated with the pubic region of
its host where it clings to pubic hairs
with highly modified claws.
✓The female pubic louse lays its eggs
attached to pubic hairs near the skin
surface.
✓A pubic louse egg will hatch within
6 - 8 days.
✓After 15 - 16 days and three molts,
an adult pubic louse will emerge.
✓A female pubic louse may lay up to
90 eggs during its lifetime which
lasts about 12 days.
 Treatment/ control
✓Because pubic lice live on the host among pubic hairs,
treatment is not as simple. If phthiriasis (the condition
associated with a pubic louse infestation) is diagnosed,
treatment should be sought immediately.
✓Products for treatment will be marketed as shampoos or
cream rinses (Careful attention should be employed while
following all directions on product labels.)
✓ An infested person's bedding and clothing should be
washed in hot soapy water and dried in a clothes dryer on
the "high heat" cycle.
✓It is important to alert one's sexual partner as to the
presence of pubic lice because he/she may require
treatment as well.
 Control
✓Insecticide – head lice lotion or shampoo on pubic hair;
contains : 2 % DDT, 1 % Lindane & 0.5 % Malathion
✓Vaselin – used to rid lice from infested eyelashes
✓Shave – If very serious, shave off armpits, & pubic hair

Pubic nits transferred Pubic

to baby eyelashes nits