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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffBody lice infestations usually cause minimal problems. However, a body lice infestation sometimes leads to complications such as:
- Secondary infections. When body lice scratch and dig to feed on your blood, they may irritate your skin. If you scratch to alleviate itching, this also can irritate your skin. If your skin becomes raw from these irritations, other infections may develop.
- Skin changes. If you're infested with body lice for a long time, you may experience skin changes such as thickening and discoloration.
- Spread of disease. Although rare, body lice can carry and spread some bacterial diseases, such as typhus, relapsing fever or trench fever. All of these diseases can be treated with antibiotics. But if left untreated, they can result in death
