quiestion about head lice!?

Question

so me and my family are having a small debate right now. about head lice. i say they only like humens. and that you can't get that from animals. is this true? can someone please give me a whole lot of useless information about lice pleaz? websights would be nice. THANKS!

Answer 1

Well...I found that head lice are different from body lice, though both affect humans but they are treated differently, so if you maintain that you were ONLY referring to "HEAD" lice, then you would be right; they don't like pets or even other parts of our bodies. Animals do get lice, just a different kind.

Here's a link about lice on animals/vs mammals: http://www.unbc.ca/nlui/wildlife_diseases_bc/lice.htm.

Here's a HEAD lice FAQ: http://www.dhpe.org/infect/lice.html

And here's where the whole mess got started:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/03/07/lice_ani.html?category=animals&guid=20070307120030&dcitc=w19-506-ak-0001. :-)

Answer 2

Well lice originally were introduced to people by another close primate species - gorillas...

http://www.discovery.com/ads/ad_interstitial_fill1.html?dest=http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/03/07/lice_ani.html?category=animals&guid=20070307120030&dcitc=w19-506-ak-0001

However while they did come from another animal - this animal is closely related. You can not get lice from your family dog or cat for example...

Are Lice Contagious?

Lice are highly contagious and can spread quickly from person to person, especially in group settings (schools, child-care centers, slumber parties, sports activities, camps, and even playgrounds).

Though they can't fly or jump, these tiny parasites have specially adapted claws that allow them to crawl and cling firmly to hair. They spread mainly through head-to-head contact, but sharing clothing, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats can also help pass them along. Children and teens are most prone to catching lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and often share personal items.

And you may wonder if Fido or Fluffy may be catching the pests and passing them on to your family. But rest assured that pets can't catch head lice and pass them on to people or the other way around.

Answer 3

They do not invade the domestic animals we keep in our homes like dogs or cats. They do invade primates. Even the lice on birds is a different type. I am not sure if the lice that pigs carry is the same or not, but I do think it is a human type lice.

Answer 4

Head lice are species specific. These bugs only feed off of the human scalp. You cannot catch lice from animals and you cannot spread lice to them.

www.clearlice.com

Answer 5

I hate to burst your bubble annysh but they actually prefer a clean head over a dirty one. It is easy for them to grip to the hair. The mere thought of them still makes me itchy.

Answer 6

Animals CAN but mostlikly WONT give you headlice.
They cant become infested,lice cant live on animals.
try my source

Answer 7

Here's a website:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000840.htm

Has pictures, too....

Answer 8

you will get this i think when you wont take a shower everyday