|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

How Long Does Body Lice Live?

Lice are known as fly babies, and can infect both humans and animals. For humans however, the prominent type of lice that can be infectious are body lice. They are parasitic insects that thrive off of the host body, being difficult to see with the naked eye due to their miniscule size as small as 0.5 millimeters. However, one single louse has a relatively short lifespan, but if left to multiply, body lice as a group can thrive for a very long time.

  1. Time Frame

    • Body lice live approximately 30 days. During these 30 days, they will grow, mature and reproduce more lice spawn so long as there are sources of nutrition available to sustain their brood. Their sources of nutrition are the epidermal layer, and sometimes even blood by boring deep into the dermal layer. One louse can die in 30 days, but a whole colony of body lice can last for months if left untreated.

    Effects

    • Extreme itchiness leads to peeling skin and rashes. Ruptured underlying blood vessels may occur, as well as inflammation and severe redness of skin. Elevated bumps will also show on the epidermal layer as skin and blood are their source of food. These symptoms will persist until the body lice have been completely removed.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Clean your living environment, especially the corners of each room and under places where a vacuum cleaner normally cannot reach. Wash all clothing and sheets with hot water, as lice cannot live in a heated solution. Also, weekly screenings for any signs of body lice is necessary for continuing prevention.

    Facts

    • Lice come in three categories: body, head and pubic. Each of the lice types cannot live in any environment other than their own. For example, body lice cannot live in the head and pubic lice cannot live on the body, because those areas have different skin and hair coarseness.

    Warning

    • Body lice can spread quickly to another host if left untreated. Body lice can only be transferred via physical contact, such as skin to skin touch, or rubbing across the fabric of another person's clothing or bedding. If you or anybody you know is infected with body lice, avoid contact with people and treat it immediately.

Public Health - Related Articles