Healthyfemales

Lice Lice are small parasites that live on humans or animals. They bite through the skin to suck blood. There are three types of lice -- head, body, and pubic lice. Head lice are the most common types. They feed on the scalp and lay their eggs, called nits, at the base of a strand of hair. The nits look like small white ovals and are easiest to see behind the ears and at the back of the neck. Body lice live in the seams of clothing and not on the skin at all. Pubic lice live in the hair around the sex organs and lay their eggs on shafts of hair. Pubic lice can also live in beards and eyebrows, eyelashes, in the armpits and on chest hair. The main symptom of lice is severe itching. The skin may also become red and inflamed. When the louse bites, it injects a toxin into the skin that causes itching and irritation. Head and body lice are spread by contact with an infected person or by sharing combs, towels, sheets, blankets, or clothing. Pubic lice are usually spread by sexual cont

  Viral hepatitis Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that may destroy some parts of the liver. Viruses are the most common causes of hepatitis. Hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol, drugs, chemicals, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Hepatitis A is caused by a virus and spreads by contact with fecal matter or bowel movements. This can happen by eating food that an infected person with hepatitis handled, or by drinking water or milk or eating food that has been contaminated with sewage. It can also be spread by contact with household members or sharing toys at day-care centers. Hepatitis A does not lead to chronic inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis B is also caused by a virus and is the most widespread. It is carried in infected body fluids such as blood, semen, or saliva and is usually spread through infected needles or sexual contact. It can also be passed from mother to child at bi

  Antibiotic Resistance The percentage of a common type of infection that is resistant to treatment by ordinary antibiotics is rising in Iowa, according to a statewide survey from University of Iowa researchers and other state health professionals. Data from surveillance of the state's most serious infections, conducted by the Iowa Task Force for Antibiotic Resistance, shows that 27 percent of all invasive pneumococcal infections were resistant to penicillin in 2000, compared to 24 percent in 1999. "This is a concern," said Daniel J. Diekema, MD, UI assistant professor of pathology and internal medicine and a member of the task force, "because penicillin-resistant pneumococcus is frequently resistant to many other antibiotic classes, making it much more difficult to treat these common and serious infections." Pneumococcus is a leading cause of illness in young children and the elderly. It causes ear infections, sinusitis, pneumonia and one of the most f