Prevalence of body lice in elementary school students in three Ethiopian towns at different altitudes

A survey of body lice in three different altitudinal zones of Ethiopia was conducted. The survey population consisted of primary school children of both sexes ranging in age from 6-25 years. The areas of study were Gambela, Kemise and Debre-Berhan. Only 33.2% of the school children were found to be free from infestation and the rest, 66.8%, harboured body lice ranging in number of 1 to 598. The prevalence in Debre-Berhan (76.2%) was found to be significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than in Gambela (61.4%) and Kemise (62.6%). Similarly the density of lice was higher (P less than 0.001) among Debre-Berhan than among Gambela or Kemise school children. Infestation was commoner among the 11-15 and 16-20 year than the 6-10 and 21-25 year ago groups. There was no difference in the prevalence of lice between the sexes but a higher density was observed among males. The importance of having prior knowledge of the prevalence and abundance of body lice in different areas has been discussed in relation to possible outbreaks of louse-borne diseases.