Lice are insects that feed off of birds and mammals blood all over the world. Different from what many people believe, their proliferation is not necessarily associated with poor hygiene, but with the possibility of transmission from one person to another.

They don’t fly because they don’t have wings. They don’t jump either because they don’t have legs adapted to do so, as it is the case of fleas and grasshoppers.

Therefore, the louse is only transmitted through contact between hair, in case of mammals, or between feathers, in case of birds, as well as between our hair or body, or through objects. Therefore, once a person is infested, the louse can be transmitted to other persons when they hug, share the same towel, sheets or hairbrush, cap or tiara, and also a motorcyclist helmet. Through these contacts, the louse can spread throughout the family.

Lice can bother with intense itching and cause fever due to bacteria transmitted by them. Lice infestation can be controlled with the use of specific remedies and mechanical removal of adults and nits (eggs) with fine-toothed combs.

There are still many questions about the ways lice infest people. For example, why school-aged children catch head lice more than adults?

The answer seems simple: because they maintain a greater contact between them and are “confined” in the school environment where they are numerous. However, there is a chance without scientific proof suggesting that children are capable of exhaling certain substances, known as kairomones, which might attract the louse.

The history of lice is rich of facts, such as the possible indication of the occasion man started to wear clothes and the impact of diseases transmitted by them during the First World War, such as Typhus and Trench Fever.

The purpose of this work is to translate the stories about lice to assist children, young people, parents and guardians, as well as professionals of education, health and biological sciences areas.