Pediculus humanis and Phthirus pubis (Lice)
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Parasites
- Giardia lamblia
- Toxoplasma gondii
- Entamoeba histolytica
- Cryptosporidium
- Naegleria fowleri
- Trypanosoma brucei
- Plasmodium Overview
- Plasmodium Disease (Malaria)
- Babesia
- Trypanosoma cruzi
- Leishmania
- Trichomonas vaginalis
- Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm)
- Ascaris lumbricoides (giant roundworm)
- Strongyloides stercoralis (threadworm)
- Ancylostoma and Necator
- Trichinella spiralis
- Trichuris trichiura (whipworm)
- Toxocara canis
- Onchocerca volvulus
- Loa loa
- Wuchereria bancrofti
- Taenia solium
- Diphyllobothrium latum
- Echinococcus granulosus
- Schistosoma
- Clonorchis sinensis
- Sarcoptes scabiei (Scabies)
- Pediculus humanis and Phthirus pubis (Lice)
Summary
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Key Points
- Pediculus humanus (head lice)/Phthirus pubis (pubic lice)
- Characteristics
- Blood-sucking lice
- Transmission
- Head lice
- Hair-to-hair contact
- Common among households with infected children, crowded living quarters
- Pubic lice
- Close physical or sexual contact
- Head lice
- Presentation
- Intense pruritus with excoriations
- Crawling sensation
- Eyelash infection
- Can cause conjunctivitis
- Can be caused by both species
- Pediculus humanus infests scalp and neck
- Phthirus pubis infests pubic and perianal regions
- Intense pruritus with excoriations
- Pathogenesis
- Females lay nits (eggs) that are attached to the hair
- Nits > 1 cm away from hair shaft may indicate an old, not active, infection
- Females lay nits (eggs) that are attached to the hair
- Diagnosis
- Examine by wet combing hair with a fine-tooth comb
- Visual inspection of base of hair for nits or (less commonly) live bugs
- Examine by wet combing hair with a fine-tooth comb
- Treatment
- Permethrin
- Nit combing (after shampooing with permethrin)
- Characteristics