Lice
Lice are commonly referred to as 'nits', which are actually louse eggs. While lice are a public health nuisance, they are not a public health risk. The louse species present in New Zealand are not cause for great concern, but they can be annoying.
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About lice
Lice are wingless and 0.5 to 8mm in length and vary in colour. Some species are white or yellow, while other species are brown or black. There are 2 types of lice — chewing lice and sucking lice.
Only these species of sucking lice cause problems for humans:
- head lice
- body lice
- pubic lice (or 'crabs').
Head lice
The head louse is the most common human louse and can be very irritating. Both males and females can latch onto the host and feed on blood. Adult females glue their eggs (the nits) onto shafts of the host person’s hair. The eggs then take around 4 to 15 days to hatch.
Head lice do not directly transmit diseases. But they can make you very itchy, and if you scratch at the itches, this can lead to secondary infections.
Getting rid of lice
Body lice
If you have body lice, then you should destroy any clothing or bedding that may be infested.
Visit the Better Health Channel website for more information about body lice.
Body lice — Better Health Channel (external link)
Head lice
Information on how to treat and prevent head lice.
Treating and preventing head lice
Pubic lice
Visit the Better Health Channel website for more information about pubic lice.
Pubic lice — Better Health Channel (external link)