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What is body lice?
11 December 2025
These refer to tiny parasites that live and lay nits (eggs) in clothing and on the skin because they need to feed on human blood to survive. They can transmit certain pathologies such as typhus, trench fever, and relapsing fever.
Body lice are one of the three types that manifest in humans (the other two are head and pubic lice). They are usually larger, and their bites are visible on the armpits, neck, shoulders, waist, upper thighs, and groin.
Homeless individuals and people displaced from their homes due to natural disasters or wars are most prone to contagion through direct contact with the clothing of infected people, due to the unsanitary and overcrowded conditions to which they may be exposed.
Body lice usually die within three days at room temperature if separated from the infected person, but they can live in the folds of clothing for up to a month.
It should be clarified that cats and dogs do not spread body, head, or pubic lice.
Methods of contagion include:
- Contact with infected people.
- Bedding, such as pillows, sheets, and blankets.
- Clothing.
- Towels.
- Hats.
Signs and symptoms Body Lice
- Intense itching.
- Rash from an allergic reaction to the bites.
- Sores.
- Small bloody and crusted areas on the skin where the bite occurred.
In rare cases, body lice pose risks and complications, but they can trigger:
- Changes in the dermis (skin).
- Skin infections.
- Transmission of bacterial diseases.
Diagnosis and treatment Body Lice
The doctor will analyze your symptoms and clinical history, and perform a physical exam of the skin and clothing in search of these parasites, characterized by a brownish or grayish color, their eggs, or nits, to help confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment for body lice consists of:
- Showering daily.
- Changing clothes frequently.
- Washing clothes, towels, and bedding with hot water and soap, and machine drying on a hot cycle.
- Items that cannot be washed, such as furniture and mattresses, must be thoroughly vacuumed to eliminate lice and eggs shed from the infected person.
Related centers and departments Body Lice
Fuentes:
- cun.es
- kidshealth.org
- healthychildren.org
- nicklauschildrens.org
- mayoclinic.org
- msdmanuals.com
- medlineplus.gov
- medigraphic.com
How can we help you?
The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.
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