This week's case features an object (of many) found in the hair of a 6-year-old girl. Identification?
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Every week I will post a new Case, along with the answer to the previous case. Please feel free to write in with your answers, comments, and questions. Also check out my image archive website at http://parasitewonders.com. Enjoy!
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Please note that all opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer. Information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.
The Fine Print:
Please note that all opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer. Information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.
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7 comments:
Oh beautiful, a clear shot of a nit with the larva of Pediculus capitis still inside. We can say with certainty that it’s a head louse rather Pthirius pubis from it’s pronounced lid. Fortunately it’s only an indication of poor personal hygiene or an incidental acquisition as most often seen in children.
Florida Fan
Not necessarily an indication of personal hygiene.
Eddy Martinez
Pediculus humanus var capitis (egg attached to hair)
The versatile human ectoparaiste "Pediculus humanus humanus/capitis", NITS released by the female louse attached to the base of the hair near the scalp, which hatch in 7–10 days! #looks like an alein 👽!!Nits are laid in the seams of clothing and bedding while moving to human skin to feed. Major vector for Epi typhus :Rickettsia prowazekii, Trench Bartonella quintana, Relapsing fever owing to Borrelia recurrentis.
This makes my head itch just looking at it! Nit from a head louse attached to hair. I would also like to repeat a previous comment that having head lice is in NO way an indication of personal hygiene.
As said, it is the egg of the head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis with the embryo inside (legs visible) and the operculum still on the egg. We can also see the part of the glue which was used to attach the egg on the hair. The aeropyles are in a row while in case of the pubic louse eggs they are in a triangular order. See https://www.veterinaryparasitology.com/pthirus-pubis.html but also case 293 in Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites. It is by the way Pthirus not Phthirus pubis.
In young children eggs of pubic louse can also be found on the scalp.
I do not agree with the sentence:....Fortunately it’s only an indication of poor personal hygiene or an incidental acquisition as most often seen in children.... The examination of thousands of children here in Israel showed clearly that head louse is a public health problem in all socio-economic classes and it was found in children who shower themselves up to five times a week. Regarding the biology and control of head louse infestations, I would also recommend the following publication: Mumcuoglu KY, Pollack RJ, Reed DL, Barker SC, Gordon S, Toloza AC, Picollo MI, Taylan‐Ozkan A, Chosidow O, Habedank B, Ibarra J. International recommendations for an effective control of head louse infestations. International Journal of Dermatology. 2021 Mar;60(3):272-80.
Clearly a nit (egg of lice), still containing the nymph.
The nit's operculum (the lid) is rather "flattened", indicating that it is Pediculus (Phthirus pubis - pubic louse - has a more raised/pointed lid).
The fact that it is attached to a hair tell us that this is Pediculus humanus capitis.
P.h.capitis is not (yet) proven to transmit any disease (in contrast to body lice: P.h.humanus).
Although some propose also P.h.capitis as possible vector for transmitting Rickettsial disease (Parola, P., & Raoult, D. (2006). Tropical rickettsioses. Clinics in Dermatology, 24 (3), 191-200. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2005.11.007)
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