Louse Infestation: Pediculosis
Polyplax serrata is a relatively common louse of wild mice, and at one time it infested laboratory mice throughout the world. It is now essentially nonexistent in laboratory mouse colonies, although the authors have found them on mice raised for reptile food under less than ideal conditions.
Eggs attach to the base of hair shafts and hatch through an operculum at their top. Stage I nymphs can be found over the entire body, but the later 4 stages tend to prefer the anterior dorsum of the body. Eggs hatch within 5-6 days, and nymphs develop into adults within 1 week. Transmission is by direct contact. Host immunity appears to develop, as parasite numbers diminish with time. Heavy infestations can result in anemia and debilitation. Bites are pruritic, resulting in intense scratching and dermatitis. Polyplax once played a significant role as a vector of Mycoplasma (Eperythrozoon) coccoides.
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