The specific status of the head and body lice of humans has been debated for more than 200 yr. To clarify the specific status of head and body lice, we sequenced 524 base pairs (bp) of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene of 28 head and 28 body lice from nine countries. Ten haplotypes that differed by 1-5 bp at 11 nucleotide positions were identified. A phylogeny of these sequences indicates tha...

Human head lice and body lice are morphologically and biologically similar but have distinct ecologies. They were shown to have almost the same basic genetic content (one gene is absent in head lice), but differentially express certain genes, presumably responsible for the vector competence. They are now believed to be ecotypes of the same species (Pediculus humanus) and based on mitochondrial ...

908 Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 20, No. 5, May 2014 this research team (DR) collected the eggs from the hair shaft, they were found ≈3 3.5 cm from the hair follicle. Because hair grows ≈1.25 cm per month, the louse infestation occurred ≈3 months before egg collection (6). Homeless persons that we have monitored for many years are often heavily infested by body lice but...

conclusions the results showed that the prevalence of pediculosis among the glogah county primary school students was less than the average percentages observed in other students inside and outside of iran. results based on a total of 300 pupils, 17 of them (5.7%) were infested with pediculus capitis. the prevalence rate was 6.8% in the boys and 4.8% in the girls, while the rate of infestation ...

Genomic and transcriptomics analyses have revealed human head and body lice to be almost genetically identical; although con-specific, they nevertheless occupy distinct ecological niches and have differing feeding patterns. Most importantly, while head lice are not known to be vector competent, body lice can transmit three serious bacterial diseases; epidemictyphus, trench fever, and relapsing ...

Homeless persons in San Francisco, California, USA,have been shown to have head and body lice infestations and Bartonella quintana infections. We surveyed a self selected population of homeless persons in San Francisco to assess infestations of head and body lice, risks of having body lice, and presence of B. quintana in lice. A total of 203 persons who reported itching were surveyed during 200...

results a total number of 20 out of 1772 (1.12%) examined students were found to be infested by lice. although the infestation rate was higher in girls, the difference of infestation rate between genders was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). the rate of head lice infestation was siginificantly (p < 0.05) correlated to their hair-washing behavior. parents’ literacy level also was siginif...

Since the pioneering work of Charles Nicolle in 1909 [see Gross (1996) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:10539–10540] most medical officers and scientists have assumed that body lice are the sole vectors of Rickettsia prowazekii, the aetiological agent of louseborne epidemic typhus (LBET). Here we review the evidence for the axiom that head lice are not involved in epidemics of LBET. Laboratory experim...

Human head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer) occur worldwide and infest millions of children and adults every year. Head lice infestations, which are known as pediculosis capitis, are psychologically stressful, physically irritating, and are one of the leading causes of K-6 school absence. The prevalence of head lice in many countries is increasing rapidly because of resistance to chemic...

BACKGROUND Body louse or head louse? Once removed from their environment, body and head lice are indistinguishable. Neither the morphological criteria used since the mid-18th century nor the various genetic studies conducted since the advent of molecular biology tools have allowed body lice and head lice to be differentiated. In this work, using a portion of the Phum_PHUM540560 gene from the bo...