Lice, known better in the medical community as pediculosis, is a type of parasite that lives solely off of the blood of its victim; in this case, humans. Three types of lice exist--head, body and pubic, all of which are similar in characteristics. They are about 2 mm long, wingless and flat. While similar in many ways, each vary slightly in transmission.
Head Lice
Contrary to popular belief, head lice are not caused by poor personal hygiene or how clean the home is. They are most commonly seen in children of school age, typically between 3 and 11, and frequently infest the children's families as well, according to Arthur Schoenstadt, MD of EMedTV.
Because head lice cannot fly or jump, infestation generally occurs during head-to-head contact, or during close interaction such as play time.
The Mayo Clinic states that less common modes of infestation occur when personal items, such as hats, brushes, combs, barrettes and headphones have been shared. Head lice may also be spread when non-infected persons come into contact with infected household items such as towels, blankets, couches, clothing and pillows.
Body Lice
Unlike head lice, personal hygiene plays a large role in catching body lice from another person; according to the National Institutes of Health, infestation is less likely to remain on the body of someone who is clean, bathes regularly and sleeps on clean linen.
Body lice is quite common, and affects people of all ages and races worldwide. This particular type of lice lives in the seams of clothing, coming out to feed on the skin of the infected person. While skin-to-skin contact is the most common means of catching body lice, it can also be transmitted by sharing the bed, towels or bed linens of those who are infested.
Those infested with body lice should also be examined for head and pubic lice, as recommended by the National Institutes of Health.
Pubic Lice
Pubic lice is often referred to as crab lice or simply as "crabs." While they feed the same way as both head and body lice--piercing the skin, injecting saliva and sucking blood--they are not considered either type due to their mode of transmission. This type of lice is transmitted sexually, and those infested with them typically have more than one sex partner, have sex with someone already infested, share clothing or bedding with an infested person or is a sexually active adolescent.
Kids Health states that these lice may also be transmitted by sharing towels with an infested person, although this is a less common form of transmission. It is possible to be infested with pubic lice and not experience any symptoms; however, the most common symptom is usually itching. And while it is most commonly viewed as a sexually transmitted form of lice, it is possible for children to be infested as well. In younger children, pubic lice are often the cause of a condition known as blepharitis, which is an infection of the eyelids. For this reason, if infestation in a young child is suspected, his eyelids should be examined with a high-powered magnifying glass so the lice can be seen.
