• Infestation with lice that may affect any area of the body
• Depending on the type involved symptoms may include lice eggs attached to the shaft of the hair, itching of the area involved or an eruption of small red spots on the skin
• Caused by three types of lice: head louse, body louse and crab louse
• Spread by contact with infected person or contaminated objects such as clothing or hair accessories
• Can also be spread by sexual contact with infected person by crab louse
• Affects males and females but body louse is more common in crowded living conditions such as jails or military institutions
• Can occur at any age but head louse is more common in school age children and elderly
• May be mild to severe due to complications from itching
• Not life threatening

FOR EMERGENCIES

If you are trained in CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation):

Check for pulse and respirations. If both of these are absent, proceed with CPR as you were trained

If respirations are absent, but there is a pulse, proceed with rescue breathing as you were trained

If you are not trained in CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation):

Call emergency services

If the person is unconscious, begin to push hard and fast on the center of the chest

FOR PAIN

Apply hot or cold packs to the area

Relaxation techniques

Distraction

Over-the-counter medicine (refer to manufacturer’s recommendations for dosage):

Acetaminophen

Ibuprofen