Crablice - Medtick

Crablice

  • 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

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?
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