Overview
This is a magnified view of a female body louse with larvae. Lice cause itching and a characteristic excoriated skin rash (looks like a scrape). They may also transmit diseases, including relapsing fever, typhus, and trench fever. (Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
Review Date 11/2/2023
Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.