Other Forms Of Lice

We are all familiar with the lice that might infest the scalp. They are a major nuisance that don't go away without a fight. You usually have to employ the use of harmful pesticides in order to rid yourself of the infestation, and they can spread very quickly amongst the members of a house hold or children in a school. There are other forms of lice that prey on humans, however, and in this article, we'll do our best to explain these insects to you. We'll discuss the problems posed by body lice in areas outside of North America, as well as public lice, a sexually-transmitted form of louse that can cause intense genital itching.

Body lice are a type of lice that aren't as common as head lice in the United States. As opposed to head lice, which fasten their eggs to the hair follicles of their hosts, body lice usually attach themselves to clothing that is close to the skin. The eggs that they create are often placed near the seams of clothing. For that reason, the most common cause of body lice infestation is the sharing of clothing or close personal contact with another person's clothing. The problem posed by body lice is easily solved, however; simply washing and drying clothing helps to get rid of most of them. One very grave threat that is presented by these parasites is the fact that they can transmit pathogens to the host. Typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever have been passed from person to person via body lice, causing serious problems in the 20th century.

Public lice are another type of lice that attack humans. These lice differ in their appearance to a great degree from the lice that invade the scalp or the body. Their bodies are short and crab-like in appearance, causing many to call them 'crabs'. In most cases, pubic lice are transmitted through sexual contact. They can also be spread through sharing the same bed with a person that is infested, although it is less likely.

One type of louse that isn't a worry to humanity is the bark louse. These lice are often found throughout nature, preying on the barks of trees or leafs, sometimes even gorging themselves on the pages of a book. While these types of lice may be found on humans, they will only be present incidentally, and there's no need to worry about infestation.

This article should show you exactly what care you need to exercise when you're around others. There are many different types of lice that you can fall victim to, and keeping clean and not engaging in risky practices, your chance of becoming a host are limited. Avoid engaging in risky sexual practices and sharing beds with people who may be infested, and you'll be able to avoid public lice. If you're living outside of North America, be sure to keep your clothing washed and clean in order to ensure that you're not going to fall victim to body lice.

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Mike Serovey is the owner and webmaster for http://www.mikeserovey.net where you can submit your articles for free.