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Pests that deal a body blow

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Lice

A parasite is a creature that steals the resources from another creature (called a host). Some parasites also transmit and cause diseases. Some can kill.

The most common parasites that attack human hosts are lice. These little bloodsuckers bite through skin and drink your blood.

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Head lice leave tiny red bites that are itchy. If you scratch them, the lumps will become infected.

Crab lice live in hairy areas of the body. They can live in your armpits, genital hair, or even your eye lashes.

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Body lice live all over the body but they lay their eggs in clothes. Although head lice and crab lice are just irritating, body lice transmit diseases like trench fever.

Lice move from person to person through touch or when people share combs, towels, cuddly toys, clothes and bed sheets.

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