A CASE REPORT OF HUMAN INFESTATION WITH CRAB LOUSE PTHIRIUS PUBIS (APLONURA: PTHIRIDAE) FROM JORDAN.

Lice are parasites that live on the skin. They cause tiny bites, which can be bothersome. There are two kinds of lice. These are chewing lice, which feed on the skin and debris, and sucking lice, which feed on human blood. The sucking lice live on human body. These include head lice, body lice and crab lice. In humans, crab louse Pthirius pubis usually infests hair of pubic region. Phthiriasispalpebrarum (infestation of the eyelashes and eyelids) is a rare disease. The rarity of the disease may stem from the fact that it resembles anterior blepharitis, hence misdiagnosed. Crab louse can be transmitted from the genital area to the eyes by hands which results in Phthiriasispalpebrarum or other environmental and social factors. This case report presents a30 years old male patient, with a chief complaint of left eye redness, burning sensation and itching of 2 weeks duration. Eye examination showed many small, translucent oval eggs (nits) adhering to the eyelashes and eyelids of the patient and moving lice (about 2 mm diameter) were anchored to the eyelashes. Some eyelashes, lice and nits were removed mechanically using forceps. It was surprisingly very difficult to grip the body of the louse firmly using forceps, because its head can be deep within the hair folic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]