Pubic lice are parasites, requiring a host animal in order to survive. They may be transmitted sexually or by simple person-to-person contact. They may also be transmitted through infected clothing or bedding, and very rarely by infected toilet seats. Remember that they are parasites and need a living host. Survival on a toilet seat would be short lived. Pubic lice are different than head and body lice. They can be passed on as long as the lice or eggs remain alive on the infested person.

Yes. Pubic lice and Crabs can be totally eliminated with topical medications. Even if treated successfully, sexually transmitted disease STDs can recur if no precautions are taken to prevent re infection.

No, pubic lice are host specific and are not a parasite of dogs. Acquiring public lice from toilet seats is unlikely, although sharing towels with an infested person can result in transmission. (BACK)

Chats are lice. So are crabs. There are three types of lice --- head lice, pubic (crab) lice, and body lice. They are all transmitted in the exact same way: close body contact with an infested person, or contact with shared items like clothing, bedding, combs and brushes, and yes, even toilet seats can pass these creatures onto you. They do not jump from person to person though. Lice bite the skin to feed on your blood, and this is what causes the characteristic itching.

Questions or request for information regarding identification, control in school settings, treatment, and health and safety codes of head lice in minors can be addressed as follows:

Lice are small, wingless, grayish-white insects with flattened, elongate bodies and somewhat oval heads. They are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long.

Head lice do not hop, jump or fly. They migrate through direct contact with an infested person and their belongings. Pets do not transmit head lice, and poor personal hygiene does not cause an infestation. In fact, head lice prefer clean, healthy heads. Head lice do not live in, nor spontaneously generate from, the dirt, trees or the air. They live on the human head!

No, actually they are not. They are annoying, they itch, they eat blood like a mosquito, defecate on your scalp, and they are disgusting...but they are not harmful.

middot; First thing is don’t panic. Lice are a nuisance and have been stigmatized; they are NOT a serious medical problem.

Not necessarily. If members of your family don't share personal items, and if proper cleanup measures are taken, the infestation shouldn't spread. But, it has been known to happen!

Head lice CRAWL very fast and require head to head contact for transmission. It is possible that because of the way young children play, head lice are seen more widely amongst primary school children than adolescents or adults.

It is difficult to track head lice cases because head lice are not considered a disease and therefore public health departments and the Centers For Disease Control do not routinely track the number of head lice cases. However, schools and manufacturers of lice products estimate head lice cases at 12- 25 million infestations a year in the United States alone. Most of those infested are children under the age of twelve.

The most common symptom of a head lice infestation is persistent itching, particularly around the ears, back of the neck and crown, but some people never itch at all. Repeat infestations can cause some individuals to become super-sensitive to bites. Secondary bacterial infections can occur with excessive scratching. See a doctor if this occurs. Diagnosis of head lice is usually made by finding nits (lice eggs).

Getting rid of head lice is a three-step process. You must kill all the live lice, check for and remove all the nits by combing and manual nit picking, and do a reasonable job of cleaning the infested person's belongings and home environment. Please make sure you have head lice before treatment. Many people misdiagnose head lice and treat themselves or their children with chemicals unnecessarily.

People should also be aware that according to entomologists, any insect over time can develop resistance to pesticides. It is not surprising therefore, that many consumers, health professionals and entomologists report that head lice have become resistant to pediculicides. However, failure to follow directions, non-compliance and failure to pick nits manually can also result in a persistent head lice infestation.

If you have used a pediculicide correctly and still have live lice or new nits, you probably have a persistent case of head lice. According to the Palm Beach County Head Lice Task Force and the Head Lice Treatment and Prevention Project at Florida Atlantic University College of Nursing, persistent head lice is defined as three incidents of live lice found over a 6-week period.