Disease Spread by Lice

America is in the middle of the biggest outbreak of Head Lice and Body Lice a.k.a bedbugs in over six decades. This news got even worse as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new report linking Head Lice and Body Lice to the disease Bartonella Quintana.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, Bartonella Quintana "can cause trench fever, endocarditis, bacillary angiomatosis, peliosis, and chronic bacteremia in infected humans."

While Head Lice and Body Lice feed only on human blood, it is not the bite of these little bloodsuckers that need worry you. While the Head Lice and Body Lice bites can in relatively rare cases cause infection, mostly they will just make you extremely itchy and earn you the nick name cootie-head. The real cause for concern comes not from the mouths of Head Lice and Body Lice, but rather from their bums.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, Bartonella quintana "is transmitted through body lice feces that are scratched into the skin by the host." This has caused many infested with Head Lice and Body Lice to implore 'yes, I have lice. Don't rub it in.'

The two segments of the population most at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are school children and the homeless. "Head lice infestations occur most often in school children... where they may be transferred by pillow cases, hats, and combs," where as "body lice infestations usually are found only on persons who do not have access to clean changes of clothes or bathing facilities"

This, however, may not be the case for long. The resurgence of Head Lice and Body Lice in the United States has grown so intense that the Environment Protection Agency has hosted its first ever bedbug summit. Over 300 people attended including scientists, public health officials and pest control workers to discuss the growing problem in many hospitals, hotels and shelters.

The Environment Protection Agency cites two main reasons for the resurgence of Head Lice and Body Lice. Firstly, authorities have banned many of the pesticides traditionally used to kill the insects. Secondly, the increase in world travel has seen the bugs arriving in large numbers in people's suitcases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study concluded that "homeless persons in the San Francisco Bay area have body and head lice that harbor Bartonella Quintana type strain Fuller." Further 33.3% of the lice collected from the homeless of the San Francisco Bay area tested positive for Bartonella Quintana.

So, good night. Sleep tight. And really, really don't let the bedbugs bite.

Pesticide News Story: EPA's National Bed Bug Summit, epa.gov

Bartonella quintana in Body Lice and Head Lice from Homeless Persons, San Francisco, California, USA, cd.gov, cd.gov