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Head lice live on the human scalp and feed on human blood. They are 0.09 – 0.1 inches long, wingless, and dorsoventrally flat. Head lice are gray, but some can feature other colors.
When your child is the temporary home for these blood-sucking freeloaders, the social issue can sometimes be more overwhelming than the physical issue.
Head lice are most common among young children — 6 million to 12 million lice outbreaks occur yearly in children between 3 and 11 in the US — though adults are vulnerable to head lice as well.
Head lice cannot fly, and their short, stumpy legs render them incapable of jumping, or even walking efficiently on flat surfaces. [ 2 ] The non-disease-carrying head louse differs from the related disease-carrying body louse ( Pediculus humanus humanus ) in preferring to attach eggs to scalp hair rather than to clothing.
Head lice bites on the back of the neck Adult male (left) and female (right) head lice. Head lice are generally uncomfortable, but typically do not constitute a serious condition. [7] The most common symptom is itching of the head, which normally worsens 3 to 4 weeks after the initial infestation. The bite reaction is very mild, and it can be ...
body and head lice on the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures Web site; crab louse on the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures Web site; Pediculus humanus capitis head louse facts, myths, life cycle at MetaPathogen