Geographic Distributions and Origins of Human Head Lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) Based on Mitochondrial Data

Light, Jessica E.; Allen, Julie M.; Long, Lauren; Carter, Tamar E.; Barrow, Lisa N.; Suren, Ganbold; Raoult, Didier; Reed, David L.

doi:10.1645/ge-1618.1

Cited by 64 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…h . humanus , are obligatory hematophagous parasite that thrived exclusively on human blood for thousands of years [1, 2]. The two lice are now usually considered members of a single species as opposed to separate species [3, 4], each louse lives and multiplies in a specific ecological niche: hair for head lice and clothing for body lice [5, 6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Head Lice of Pygmies Reveal the Presence of Relapsing Fever Borreliae in the Republic of Congo

et al. 2016

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BackgroundHead lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, occur in four divergent mitochondrial clades (A, B, C and D), each having particular geographical distributions. Recent studies suggest that head lice, as is the case of body lice, can act as a vector for louse-borne diseases. Therefore, understanding the genetic diversity of lice worldwide is of critical importance to our understanding of the risk of louse-borne diseases.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere, we report the results of the first molecular screening of pygmies’ head lice in the Republic of Congo for seven pathogens and an analysis of lice mitochondrial clades. We developed two duplex clade-specific real-time PCRs and identified three major mitochondrial clades: A, C, and D indicating high diversity among the head lice studied. We identified the presence of a dangerous human pathogen, Borrelia recurrentis, the causative agent of relapsing fever, in ten clade A head lice, which was not reported in the Republic of Congo, and B. theileri in one head louse. The results also show widespread infection among head lice with several species of Acinetobacter. A. junii was the most prevalent, followed by A. ursingii, A. baumannii, A. johnsonii, A. schindleri, A. lwoffii, A. nosocomialis and A. towneri.Conclusions/SignificanceOur study is the first to show the presence of B. recurrentis in African pygmies’ head lice in the Republic of Congo. This study is also the first to report the presence of DNAs of B. theileri and several species of Acinetobacter in human head lice. Further studies are needed to determine whether the head lice can transmit these pathogenic bacteria from person to another.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Molecular analysis of mitochondrial genes has permitted the classification of Pediculus humanus into three several clades or haplogroups, referred to as A, B, and C [1, 2, 7, 8, 9]. Haplogroup A is the most common, and possesses a global distribution, including both head and body lice [1, 2, 6, 8, 9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Head Lice of Pygmies Reveal the Presence of Relapsing Fever Borreliae in the Republic of Congo

et al. 2016

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“…Previous studies based on the COI and Cyt b genes demonstrated that body lice ( P. humanus corporis ) and head lice are separated into three clades, A, B, and C [6]. Head lice could be found in a relatively specific geographic distribution for each clade [7]. Clade A has worldwide distribution [8], clade B is found in Europe, Australia, North America, and Central America [9], and clade C is found in Nepal [10], Ethiopia [11], and Senegal [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular survey of the head louse Pediculus humanus capitis in Thailand and its potential role for transmitting Acinetobacter spp.

et al. 2015

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BackgroundHead louse infestation, which is caused by Pediculus humanus capitis, occurs throughout the world. With the advent of molecular techniques, head lice have been classified into three clades. Recent reports have demonstrated that pathogenic organisms could be found in head lice. Head lice and their pathogenic bacteria in Thailand have never been investigated. In this study, we determined the genetic diversity of head lice collected from various areas of Thailand and demonstrated the presence of Acinetobacter spp. in head lice.MethodsTotal DNA was extracted from 275 head louse samples that were collected from several geographic regions of Thailand. PCR was used to amplify the head louse COI gene and for detection of Bartonella spp. and Acinetobacter spp. The amplified PCR amplicons were cloned and sequenced. The DNA sequences were analyzed via the neighbor-joining method using Kimura’s 2-parameter model.ResultsThe phylogenetic tree based on the COI gene revealed that head lice in Thailand are clearly classified into two clades (A and C). Bartonella spp. was not detected in all the samples, whereas Acinetobacter spp. was detected in 10 samples (3.62%), which consisted of A. baumannii (1.45%), A. radioresistens (1.45%), and A. schindleri (0.72%). The relationship of Acinetobacter spp. and the head lice clades showed that Acinetobacter spp. was found in clade A and C.ConclusionsHead lice in Thailand are classified into clade A and B based on the COI gene sequences. Pathogenic Acinetobacter spp. was detected in both clades. The data obtained from the study might assist in the development of effective strategies for head lice control in the future. Detection of pathogenic bacteria in head lice could raise awareness of head lice as a source of nosocomial bacterial infections.

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“…A recent study of human Demodex species found genetic differences in the mitochondrial CO1 gene between mite populations that inhabit the eyelashes versus mite populations that inhabit the skin [20]. In addition, studies of another human-associated parasite, lice ( Pediculus humanus ), have found strong genetic structure between geographic lineages [4], [5], [21]. Geographic structure among human-associated Demodex lineages is expected, given that these mites are more intimately associated with the body than lice and seemingly less mobile, yet the minimal data that exist have not yet recovered such variation [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ubiquity and Diversity of Human-Associated Demodex Mites

et al. 2014

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Demodex mites are a group of hair follicle and sebaceous gland-dwelling species. The species of these mites found on humans are arguably the animals with which we have the most intimate interactions. Yet, their prevalence and diversity have been poorly explored. Here we use a new molecular method to assess the occurrence of Demodex mites on humans. In addition, we use the 18S rRNA gene (18S rDNA) to assess the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of Demodex lineages. Within our samples, 100% of people over 18 years of age appear to host at least one Demodex species, suggesting that Demodex mites may be universal associates of adult humans. A phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA reveals intraspecific structure within one of the two named human-associated Demodex species, D. brevis. The D. brevis clade is geographically structured, suggesting that new lineages are likely to be discovered as humans from additional geographic regions are sampled.

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Geographic Distributions and Origins of Human Head Lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) Based on Mitochondrial Data

Cited by 64 publications

References 30 publications

Head Lice of Pygmies Reveal the Presence of Relapsing Fever Borreliae in the Republic of Congo

Head Lice of Pygmies Reveal the Presence of Relapsing Fever Borreliae in the Republic of Congo

Molecular survey of the head louse Pediculus humanus capitis in Thailand and its potential role for transmitting Acinetobacter spp.

Ubiquity and Diversity of Human-Associated Demodex Mites

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