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Body Lice

You are here: Home / What Are Head Lice and Nits? / Frequently Asked Questions / Body Lice

What are they and how do they differ from head lice?

Biologically, the principal difference between the head louse and the body louse is in habitat.  Their physical appearance is so similar that it is almost impossible to visually tell them apart.  The World Health Organization says that head lice as opposed to body lice is now the most prevalent parasitic infestation of humans in the United States and Europe.  Head lice are ubiquitous in most developing countries. 

The head louse occurs primarily on the head and cements its eggs to the hair shafts.  It can also infest the eyebrows and eyelashes.  The body louse (commonly called the clothing louse) is found on the body and attaches its eggs to fibers of clothing, especially along the seams of the clothing’s inner surface.  The body louse feeds less frequently and is generally more robust than the head louse.  The crab louse is quite distinct from the head and body louse in its appearance, habits and location.  It is principally found in the pubic and perianal regions, but occasionally may occur in coarse hair on other parts of the body (Buxton, 1947; Busvine, 1966; Sholdt 1979).

The term “body lice” is sometimes used to mean scabies.  This confuses the issue when people seek help for their condition.  Scabies represent an entirely different organism.

Pubic lice have been documented to infest the scalps of children but infestations of this type are not commonly reported.

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National Pediculosis Association,® Inc.

National Pediculosis Association Mission Statement

The NPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated since 1983 to protecting children, their families and their environment from the misuse and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter pesticide treatments for lice and scabies.

Pediculosis (the medical term for an infestation of lice) provides a public health opportunity to teach important lessons about communicable disease preparedness, responsible personal behaviors, environmental health, and the importance of learning about pharmaceutical remedies before using them on our children and ourselves.

NPA is committed to setting the highest possible public health standards for children as they relate to the communicability and treatment of head lice. NPA has been the leader in raising pediculosis as a public health priority and a pioneer in public health education and research on pediculosis.

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617-905-0176 / npa@headlice.org

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About LiceMeister® Comb

The NPA developed the LiceMeister® comb in 1997 to accomplish its mission by providing a higher standard for lice combing tools and a safe, cost-effective treatment alternative to pesticides. All proceeds from sales of the LiceMeister comb allow the NPA to be self-sustaining and independent from product manufacturers while accomplishing its mission of protecting children from the misuse and abuse of pesticide treatments for lice.

Since 1997, the LiceMeister comb has been the preferred choice of many health professionals and the gold standard in combing tools for lice and nits (lice eggs). It is an FDA cleared medical device (510K) for the purposes of routine screening, early detection and removal of lice and nits, and it is the only comb to carry the name of the National Pediculosis Association.

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