Male head louse Disclaimer: Reading the following contents may result in delusions of parasitosis and an irrepressible urge to scratch your head and body. As you no doubt know, September is Head Lice Awareness Month. Break out your LiceMeisters and get ready to par-tay! Okay, maybe that was a bit unnecessary, but this seemingly ridiculous observance is pretty useful, after all. Being aware of common human parasites and how to avoid them is important -- even if potentially unsettling. So, who besides lice are the heavy hitters of human inhabitation? Well, for starters, there are Scabies, those hideous little beasts that are enough to make one hesitate before picking up an item from the Lost and Found. Then we've got Round Worms, who are responsible for trichinosis -- and many an overdone pork chop. Let's not forget Ticks, well-known and dangerous due to Lyme disease, and who doesn't love Bed Bugs? What with the nursery rhyme, they almost sound cute -- until you see what they can do to you. However, before we get carried away, as some members of our germ-fearing society often do, let us look a little closer. As it turns out, some parasites are our friends. You may not like that mites most likely reside in your eyelashes, but you might like even less if dead skin cells were piling up there. In fact, our bodies are full of organisms that help us to go about our daily lives effectively and efficiently. Even mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, are guests within us without whom we could not survive. What to make of these parasites, then? How shall we think of them? Let's settle on this: Fend off the biters, the buzzers, and fleas, but keep to you dear those who do as you please (and need). Suggested Sites... NCID: Insect- and Arthropod-Related Diseases - discover the diseases carried by mosquitoes and ticks. Human Wildlife: The Life That Lives on Us - learn of every nook and cranny rife with life within you. Yahoo! Health: Infectious Diseases - read up on ways to prevent infection and stay well.

Directory categories: Head Lice, Parasitology, Scabies, Insect Repellent

Archived under: Anatomy, Biology, Disease, Health, Insects, Parasites, Science

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