Skin disorders due to lice

Pediculosis is a skin condition caused by biting or sucking lice.

Definition

Pediculosis is a skin condition caused by biting or sucking lice. Caustic lice are motile, active and fast lice that live of skin flakes. Sucking lice move slowly and feed on blood.

Cause

In the Netherlands there are four types of lice in cattle:

• Short-headed lettuce (Heamatopinus eurysternus) = sucking
• Long-headed lettuce (Linognathus vitula) = sucking
• Small lettuce (Solenopotes capillatus) = sucking
• Biting lettuce (Damalinia bovis) = sucking

Description

Lice cause skin irritations. Remarkable symptoms are: itching, scabs and flakes on the head, neck, withers and tail base. Due to unrest, reduced growth occurs. By pulling out a bunch of hair and holding it against the light, you can find the eggs (nits) attached to the hair.

Treatment

To combat the lice infection, apply Ivermectin-like pour-on products on the back skin, which is the best solution.