Louse (Pediculus humanus humanus)

Photomacrograph of a body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) viewed from above. These lice infest humans and can be transmitted between people through personal contact or through sharing of objects (such as clothes, towels and bedding) which have lice or their eggs on them. Body lice are more commonly seen in conditions of homelessness, poverty and war. Body lice can survive away from their human host for up to a week and can also be vectors for other diseases such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Width of image is 2.5-3.5 mm.