Pediculosis and Phthiriasis

 Pediculus humanus capitis ( head

lice)
 Pediculus humanus corporis (body
lice)
 Phthirus pubis (pubic lice)
 Pediculosis
 Head lice are most commonly found in
school children, with the most vulnerable
age being 4-11 years old
 No significant sex differences
 Do not discriminate rich or poor
 Do not have any preference towards dirty
or clean
 Prevalence
 Pediculosis has a worldwide distribution
 In epidemiologic school surveys in different
countries found to be :
 15% in France (Combescot, 1990),
 33.7% in Australia (Speare and Buettner, 1999),
 40% in Taiwan (Fan et al., 1991)
 28.3% in the U.K. (Downs et al., 2000)
 USA : has risen steadily over the last 3 decades
(Guenther, L, Medscape)
 Morphology and life cycle
 Fam : Pediculidae,
ordo : Anoplura
Class : Insecta
 Consist of head, thorax and abdomen
 3 pair of legs, with claw (to cling to and
crawl through human hair) , wingless
A permanent ecto-
parasite
 blood-sucking insects
 Die after 10 days
starvation
 Incomplete
metamorphosis
 Eggs : laid at the base of hairs, about ½
-inch from the scalp
 A female louse can lay as many as 5 - 6
eggs each day (50-100 eggs in its lifetime)
 The eggs attach to the human hair with a
material like super glue
 Eggs hatch after 7-10 days. 
 Morphology and habitat

P.humanus P.humanus Phthirus pubis

capitis corporis

Live on human clothing and Pubic hair, eye lash,

hair bedding moustache and
beard and armpit

Difficult to differentiate: Rounded body (crab

muscle of the thorax of P. louse)
humanus corporis clearly seen
Phthirus pubis ( crab louse)
 Pathogenesis & symptoms
P.humanus P.humanus Phthirus pubis
capitis corporis
Asimptomatic, Itching/ pruritus • Itching/ pruritus
itching, (play role as at pubic area
papules. vector of • eggs on eye
Scratching : epidemic lash can disturb
secondary typhus,
typhus trench eye vision
infection fever,
fever louse
- plica palonica borne relapsing
fever)
Source: Logical Image (Skin sight)
 Phthiriasis
Pediculosis corporis
 Diagnosis

 Evidence of eggs/nits, nymph or adults

 Favourite places : behind the ears / at the

nape of neck
 ‘Detection combing’
Source: DermAtlas (www.stanford.edu)
 Treatment
Head lice :
 Combing and manual
 Treatment
 Insecticide :
 Shampoo/ lotion / mousse of

permetrin 1%, benzen

hexachloride, pyrethrioid based
 Can be repeated after 10-14 days
 Cutting hair if needed
 Treatment (cont’d)
 Pediculosis humanus corporis: change
and wash clothing frequently
 Body lice : bedding should be fumigated

 Pubic lice : as recommended for head lice

 Epidemiology
 Transferred from person to person
through comb, mats, bedding
 Phthirus pubis : sexual activity
 P.humanus corporis : mostly in cool
climate; poor personal hygiene