The body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) is a louse which infests humans. The condition of being infested with head lice, body lice, or pubic lice is known as Pediculosis. Suborders Anoplura(sucking lice) Rhyncophthirina Ischnocera(avian lice) Amblycera(chewing lice) Lice (singular: louse) (order Phthiraptera) are an order of over 3,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. ... The head louse Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are one of the many varieties of sucking lice (singular louse) specialized to live on different areas of various animals. ... Phthirus pubis Pubic lice (Phthirus pubis), also known as crabs , are one of the many varieties of lice (singular louse) specialized to live on different areas of different animals. ... Pediculosis is an infestation of lice -- which are parasitic insects -- on the bodies of humans. ...

Entomology and pathology

Pediculus humanus humanus (the body louse) is indistinguishable in appearance from Pediculus humanus capitus (the head louse) and under laboratory conditions they will interbreed. In their natural state, however, the two subspecies do not interbreed and occupy different habitats. In particular, body lice have evolved to attach their eggs to clothes, whereas head lice attach their eggs to the base of hairs.

Body lice are a nuisance in themselves and cause intense itching. They are however, also vectors (transmitters) of other diseases such as epidemic typhus. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Typhus. ...

Treatment

Delousing can be practically achieved by boiling all clothes and bed clothes.^[1] Where this is not practical or possible, powder dusting with 10% DDT, 1% malathion or 1% permethrin is also effective.^[1] DDT is a move in Professional wrestling, see Professional wrestling throws. ... Malathion is a organophosphate parasympathomimetic which binds irreversibly to cholinesterase. ... Permethrin is a common chemical, widely used as an insecticide and acaricide and as an insect repellent. ...

Oral ivermectin at a dose of 12mg on days 0, 7 and 14 has been used in a small trial of 33 people in Marseilles, but did not result in complete eradication, although there was a significant fall in the number of parasites and proportion of people infected.^[2] At the moment, ivermectin cannot be routinely recommended for the treatment of body lice. Ivermectin sold under brand names Stromectol® in the US and Mectizan® in Canada. ... Marseilles redirects here. ...

References

1. ^ ^a b Raoult D, Roux V (1999). "The body louse as a vector of reemerging human diseases". Clin Infect Dis 29: 888–911.
2. ^ Foucault C, Ranque S, Badiaga S, et al.. "Oral ivermectin in the treatment of body lice". J Infect Dis 193 (3): 474–6.