Human Body Louse

Natural Habitat

Human clothing and skin, typically in crowded or unsanitary conditions

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophagy; exclusively feeds on human blood throughout its life cycle

Behavior Patterns

Unlike head lice, they live and lay eggs in the seams of clothing and only move to the skin to feed

Risks & Benefits

Significant health risk; vectors for diseases like epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever

Identified on: 6/25/2026