Cooties is a fictional childhood disease, used in the United States of America and Canada as a rejection term and an infection tag game (such as Humans vs. Zombies). It is similar to the British dreaded lurgi, and to terms used in the Nordic countries, in Italy, and in New Zealand. A child is said to "catch" cooties through close contact of an "infected" person or from a person of the opposite sex of the same age. Often the "infected" person is someone who is perceived as different, such as being of the opposite sex, disabled, or shy, or who has peculiar mannerisms. Usually the phrase is used by boys, as in "now you've got girl cooties". The phrase is most commonly used by children aged 3–10; however, it may be used by children older than 10 in a cruel, sassy, or playful way.