Lice

In Western medicine, lice (Pediculosis) are classified as ectoparasites that subsist on human blood, potentially inducing severe pruritus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts that head lice do not pose a public health risk since they do not transmit diseases. Three primary types of lice are recognized: 1) head lice, characterized by a female laying up to 150 eggs with a life cycle of 16-21 days; 2) body lice, residing primarily on underclothing and laying up to 300 eggs; and 3) pubic lice, which also infest other body hair and lay about 50 eggs during their 30-day life cycle (Meinking, T.L., Taplin, D., Hermida, J.L., Pardo, R., & Kerdel, F.A., 2010, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology).