Head louse is small gray-brown parasitic insects that have an effect on only humans. Head louse is living generally on the scalp and neck hairs of their human host. The plural of head louse is head lice. They live by sucking blood from the scalp. They can move from one person head to another one but do not passed on animals. Huge number of head lice is called as pediculosis capitis. Head louse eggs are known as Nits. The eggs take a week to 10 days to hatch and in14 days the lice are grown-up. An adult or grown-up louse is approximately 2 to 4 mm long. When the lice become 14 days old then they can also reproduce.
Head louse has 3 stages
1. Nits
Nits are 1st stage of head louse. They are whitish or yellow ovals and are about the size of a particle of sand. They attach to the hair near to the scalp and seem like dandruff.
2. Nymphs
Nymphs are baby lice. They seem like mature lice but are smaller in size.
3. Adult
Final stage is adult or mature lice. They are about of 2 to 4 mm in size. Adult lice can survive up to a month on a human’s head, but if they are away from the scalp they die in 3 days.
Pediculosis capitis or head lice are the second most common infection affecting schoolchildren, after the common cold and flu infection. Parents must not feel humiliated or embarrassed if their kid has lice. Having lice is not an indication of being unhealthy, unhygienic or living in polluted surroundings. Anyone who has hair can have lice. It is more common in school going kids, especially those at primary school.
|