Head Lice or headlice H ead lice, body lice and crab or pubic lice affect people. Bites cause intense itching and allergic reactions.
Scratching can lead to secondary infections when bacteria are scratched into the skin.
Body lice can also transmit some pretty nasty diseases, like typhus, but this is rare today in the industrialized countries. By far the most common of the three lice in today's western society is the head louse . The head louse is commonly found in the hair above ears and on the back of the scalp. Anyone can get head lice but young children are more susceptible than adults, girls are slightly more susceptible than boys. The chance of a head lice infestation goes up in schools where lockers and coat hooks are shared, not assigned.