Louse Health Concerns
The two most common species, Head and Pubic lice are not dangerous and should not be considered a medical or health hazard. They aren’t known to spread disease, but can be quite an annoyance from the intense itching and then scratching they can cause.
Body lice are considered the largest health concern as they can occasionally transmit infectious diseases like epidemic typhus, relapsing fever and trench fever. Body lice, however, and the diseases they carry are usually only a major health concern in populations living in poor-hygiene conditions because of war, social disruption, severe poverty or gaps in public health management.