A person may develop a transient infestation with animal lice following contact with an infested animal. Most lice are host-specific and do not persist away from that host.
Dogs and cats are the most likely animals to serve as a source of the lice because of their close associations with humans, but other animals can be the source.
Clinical features:
(1) contact with an animal with lice
(2) no history of contact with anyone having lice or a pruritic rash
(3) no contact with the clothing, bedding or hat from someone with lice
(4) onset of a pruritis shortly after contact with the affected animal
(5) presence of lice on body hairs
(6) failure of the infestation to persist or for the number of lice to increase
where:
• I wonder if nits (eggs) and/or nymphs are absent.
• The adult female body louse lives about 1 month.
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