A rare disease spread by body lice poses a danger to people experiencing homelessness and others who have received organ transplants from the infected, according to three papers released Wednesday ...

Medically reviewed by Josephine Hessert, DO Body lice are tiny insects that live in clothing, bedding, and other fabrics.

When it comes to the spread of the plague, rats and fleas usually shoulder most of the blame. But lice may have been just as responsible for transmitting the disease, according to a new study.

Body lice are parasites that can spread disease and usually affect people living in crowded conditions. They're different from head lice , which are far more common in the U.S. and typically ...

Using an artificial, skinlike membrane, the researchers simulated how likely it was that plague-infected lice were able to transmit the disease to humans. In one scenario, lice were fed infected ...

To clarify body lice’s potential role in transmitting plague, the team on this study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases designed a series of experiments in a lab.

Meanwhile, if you’ve discovered a body lice infestation, it must be treated right away to prevent the spread of disease. You should: Machine-wash infested clothes on the hot water cycle and dry ...

Rarely, body lice can also carry other uncommon bacterial diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , body lice have caused epidemics of typhus and louse-borne ...

Body lice lay eggs on clothing, feed on human blood, and can transmit disease to humans. People without housing and living in crowded conditions have a higher risk of body lice than others.

On the other hand, body lice are disease vectors and can spread trench fever, relapsing fever, and epidemic typhus, among other diseases. Naturally, lice are unwelcome on people’s bodies.

The disease is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. Once the bacteria enters the skin, they travel to a nearby lymph node — in your armpit, groin or neck, say — and multiply.

Body lice affect other areas of the body and are often found in seams of clothing. Head Lice. ... They don’t spread disease, and they’re not a sign that you’re dirty.