Crab lice also known as Phthirus pubis is similar to headlice but is much fatter and slow moving and are blood sucking parasites that live on humans.
They are called crab lice because of their appearance and are 2mm long and are grey/brown in colour.
They don’t jump, fly, hop and lay eggs on to hair shafts and hatch 6-10 days later and cannot be removed by normal combing/brushing.
The females can lay up to 300 eggs during a lifetime of one to three months.
They spread by physical contact when in contact with hairy areas (beards, hairy arms, hairy legs, hairy chest, underarm hair, eye lashes, pubic hair) or via sexual contact.
Persons should check their bodies regularly as one can have delayed symptoms
Source: Carver College of Medicine - The University of Iowa
Source: Terminix
Source: Wizscience.com
Source: NEJM.ORG
Source: www.soc.ucsb.edu
Symptoms
Does one have:
Noticed any egg casing and/or red spots on any hairy parts of body (not head) or small flat blue marks?
Found a ‘live‘ crab lice or eggs?
Any intense itching (Itching is caused by the saline of crab lice and some people experience this symptom up to three weeks later)?
Itching at night?
Noticed any fine black or dark brown powder (These are crab lice droppings)?
Underwear if on groin
Collar/shirt if have a beard
Socks if legs infected
Sleeves/cuffs in arms infected
Eye lashes
Been in contact with others who have been infected?