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  • Crab Louse Lice,fleas & bedbugs

    Crab Louse
  • Crab Louse
  • Crab Louse
  • Crab Louse
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Elimination

A number of products containing pyrethrins are available in drugstores. Bedding and clothing should be thoroughly washed in hot water and ironed or they should be dry cleaned, because simply washing them is not enough to eliminate them. If you have them dry cleaned, make sure you inform the dry cleaner of your problem and transport the items in an airtight plastic bag. It is also a good idea to thoroughly vacuum the entire house, including sofas and mattresses.

Actions

  • See your pharmacist or doctor for body treatments.
  • Wash bedding, towels, and clothes in hot water and tumble dry at least 20 minutes
  • Vacuum every room in the house plus sofas and mattresses (empty receptacle/dispose of bag)

Prevention

  • Avoid sharing clothing with an infested person

Description and development

Crab lice (Phthirus pubis L. ), a member of the family Pediculidae in the order Anoplura, resemble tiny beige or grayish-white crabs measuring 1.5 to 2 mm long. Most of the time, crab lice remain immobile on their host, attaching themselves to hairs and feeding in the same spot. They can stay there for hours or days, taking intermittent blood meals.
The crab louse life cycle lasts 34 to 41 days. They can survive off the host for 12 hours to 2 days. The female lays 50 or more eggs during her lifetime, attaching them to the base of the host’s hairs.

Habits

Crab lice usually live in the pubic and perianal areas of the human body. However, they can also be found in hair on the chest, armpits, and eyebrows. Sexual relations with an infested partner is the usual method of transmission. However, many health workers claim that contaminated clothing and other sources may also be possible routes.

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