Lice: MedlinePlus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

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Lice: MedlinePlus

 
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Lice

Also called: Body lice 

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Lice are parasitic insects that can be found on people's heads and bodies. They survive by feeding on human blood. Lice found on each area of the body are different from each other. The three types of lice that live on humans are head lice, body lice (also called clothes lice), and pubic lice ("crabs").
Symptoms of lice may include

• Intense itching
• Rash
• Visible nits (lice eggs) or crawling lice

Lice spread most commonly by close person-to-person contact. Dogs, cats, and other pets do not spread human lice. Lice move by crawling. They cannot hop or fly. If you get lice, both over-the-counter and prescription medicines are available for treatment.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Body lice
• Pubic lice

Related Topics

• Head Lice
• Parasitic Diseases
• Infections
• Sexual Health Issues
• Skin, Hair and Nails

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Lice is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases