Head-louse infestation
hideHead-louse infestation or head lice (also referred to colloquially in British, Irish, and Australian English as nits) is a human medical condition caused by the colonization of the hair and skin by the parasitic insect Pediculus humanus capitis—the head louse. Typically, only the head or scalp of the host is infested, although the disease can occur in other hairy parts of the body, like leg hairs. Head lice feed on human blood (hematophagy), and itching from louse bites is a common symptom of this condition. Treatment typically includes application of topical insecticides such as a pyrethrin or permethrin, although a variety of folk remedies are also common.
Lice infestation in general is known as pediculosis, and occurs in many mammalian and bird species. The term pediculosis capitis, or simply "pediculosis", is sometimes used to refer to the specific human pediculosis due to P. humanus capitis (i.e., head-louse infestation). Humans are hosts for two other lice as well—the body louse and the crab louse.
Head-louse infestation is widely endemic, especially in children. It is a cause of some concern in public health, although, unlike human body lice, head lice are not carriers of other infectious diseases.
For more information about Head-louse infestation, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with head lice
Lice genomes: Pieces of a new puzzle
Mar 30, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
0
Parents and school nurses take note. Lice are a familiar nuisance around the world and vectors of serious diseases, such as epidemic typhus, in developing regions. New research indicates that lice may actually ...
Wet combing more accurate than visual inspection for identifying active head lice infestation
Mar 16, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Combing through a child's wet hair may lead to more accurate identification of active head lice infestation than visual inspection, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journa ...
Pubic hair provides evolutionary home for gorilla lice
Biology /
Feb 11, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
0
There are two species of lice that infest humans: pubic lice, Pthirus pubis, and human head and body lice, Pediculus humanus. A new article in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Biology suggests one explanation for ...
New finding about the bane of parents' lives -- head lice
Biology /
Jan 27, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Head lice are a challenge for parents of primary-school aged children all around the world, including Australia.
Search results for head lice
Human Pubic Lice Acquired from Gorillas Gives Evolutionary Clues
Biology /
Mar 07, 2007 |
3.4 / 5 (5) |
0
Humans acquired pubic lice from gorillas several million years ago, but this seemingly seedy connection does not mean that monkey business went on with the great apes, a new University of Florida study finds.
Mummy lice found in Peru may give new clues about human migration
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Feb 07, 2008 |
4.5 / 5 (11) |
0
Lice from 1,000-year-old mummies in Peru may unravel important clues about a different sort of passage: the migration patterns of America’s earliest humans, a new University of Florida study suggests.
'LouseBuster' Instrument Shown to Kill Head Lice
Nov 06, 2006 |
2.8 / 5 (23) |
0
Biologists have invented a chemical-free, hairdryer-like device - the LouseBuster - and conducted a study showing it eradicates head lice infestations on children by exterminating the eggs, or "nits," and killing ...
Wilson: Insects essential to human life
Biology /
Jul 01, 2007 |
4.1 / 5 (12) |
0
Ant expert Edward O. Wilson, in Washington for National Pollinator Week, is warning extinctions in the insect world could threaten life as we know it.
Bacteria stop sheep dip poisoning fish and bees
Biology /
Sep 10, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
0
Bacteria can be used to break down used sheep dip, preventing bees and fish from dying because of soil and river contamination, scientists heard today at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this ...
Psychiatric impact of torture could be amplified by head injury
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 06, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Depression and other emotional symptoms in survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences may be exacerbated by the effects of head injuries, according to a study from the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT), based ...
Imaging techniques may help predict response to head and neck cancer treatment
Nov 16, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A combination of imaging tests conducted six to eight weeks after patients complete chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer may help identify patients who will respond to treatment and those who will require surgical follow-up, ...
Head and neck cancer survivors who use alcohol and cigarettes have increased death risk
Dec 03, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption before head and neck cancer diagnosis strongly predicts the patient's future risk of death, according to published studies. Now, results of a new study show a similar effect among ...
PMH finding may help some tonsil cancer patients avoid chemotherapy
Nov 03, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Clinical researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have confirmed that patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer ("tonsil cancer") harbour a common type of human papilloma virus (HPV16), but also that such cancers ...
Experts: HS football concussions merit more study
Oct 30, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(AP) -- Some studies suggest that head injuries can set up professional football players for later mental problems. Now congressmen and experts want to know more about injuries to high school players.
List of search results for head lice
