“Currently louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) is primarily found in limited endemic foci in Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan; no case of imported LBRF has been reported in Europe in the 9 years prior to 2015. The aim of our paper is to describe a new case of imported LBRF detected in Sicily, Italy, and to review all cases reported in migrants arrived in Europe in the last 10 years.”Source: Colomba C1, Scarlata F2, Di Carlo P2, Giammanco A2, Fasciana T2, Trizzino M2, Cascio A2. The Royal Society for Public Health. See full article: "Fourth case of louse-borne relapsing fever in Young Migrant, Sicily, Italy, December 2015. Mini Review Article." …
High Ancient Genetic Diversity of Human Lice, Pediculus humanus, from Israel Reveals New Insights into the Origin of Clade B Lice
“Though head lice have been found in nature to carry the DNA of Bartonella quintana, Borrelia recurrentis, Acinetobacter baumannii and Yersinia pestis [5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13], and experimental infections have shown that these lice can also act as a vector of louse-borne diseases [14, 15], their epidemiological significance is still debated.”Source: Nadia Amanzougaghene, Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, Florence Fenollar, Shir Alfi, Gonca Yesilyurt, Didier Raoult, Oleg Mediannikov. PLoS ONE 11. See full article: "High Ancient Genetic Diversity of Human Lice, Pediculus humanus, from Israel Reveals New Insights into the Origin of Clade B Lice." …
Color Me Healthy
More than just a tool to keep children occupied, coloring books provide an entertaining, friendly, and interactive medium that can simplify otherwise complicated health-related subjects. Important public-health issues are conveyed to children in coloring books in a way that can transform an unpleasant subject into an engaging learning opportunity. For instance, it is uncommon to associate the word “cute” with “lice,” however the The Latest Greatest Coloring Book About Lice, a collection item in the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) historical Prints & Photographs collection, achieves such a feat. This 10 page teaching tool produced by The National Pediculosis Association (NPA) contains whimsical drawings of lice in a story about where they live, how they move, and how people can get …
The History of Epidemic Typhus
“Epidemic typhus caused by Rickettsia prowazekii is one of the oldest pestilential diseases of humankind. The disease is transmitted to human beings by the body louse Pediculus humanus corporis and is still considered a major threat by public health authorities, despite the efficacy of antibiotics, because poor sanitary conditions are conducive to louse proliferation. Epidemic typhus has accompanied disasters that impact humanity and has arguably determined the outcome of more wars than have soldiers and generals. The detection, identification, and characterization of microorganisms in ancient remains by paleomicrobiology has permitted the diagnosis of past epidemic typhus outbreaks through the detection of R. prowazekii. Various techniques, including microscopy and immunodetection, can be …
An outbreak of pubic louse infestation on the scalp hair of elderly women.
An outbreak of pubic louse infestation on the scalp hair of elderly women was recently documented in July 2016.Source: Eto A1, Nakamura M1, Ito S1, Tanaka M1, Furue M2. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Jul 22. See full article: "An outbreak of pubic louse infestation on the scalp hair of elderly women." …
An outbreak of pubic louse infestation on the scalp hair of elderly women.Read More
Louse-Borne Relapsing Fever (Borrelia recurrentis) in a Somali Refugee Arriving in Italy: A Re-emerging Infection in Europe?
“Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) is an acute febrile infection that is typically characterizedby one to three fairly regular waves of bacteremia [1,2]. It is caused by Borrelia recurrentis,amotile spirochete that measures 5 to 40 μm in length. The microorganism is transmitted fromperson to person by the human body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus). Disruptions in san-itation during wartime and mass migrations of people provide conditions that favor the propa-gation of body lice and thus the occurrence of outbreaks of the disease [1,3]. LBRF is endemicin East Africa (e.g., Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan) with the highest number of casesobserved in Ethiopia, where it is the seventh most common cause of hospital admission andthe fifth most common cause of death [4,5]. We report here …
Severe pediculosis capitus: a case of “crusted lice” with autoeczematization
“Pediculosis humanus capitus infestations are common and classically present with intense pruritus of the scalp. Although many treatment options are available, lice are becoming more resistant to conventional therapies and severe clinical presentations are bound to become more prevalent. We present a case of treatment-resistant pediculosis capitus resulting in diffuse autoeczematization of the torso and extremities and severe crusting and scaling of the scalp, which we called “crusted lice.” This eruption differs from the well-described id reaction known as “pediculid” and represents a more dramatic manifestation of rampant infestation. This paper provides an up-to-date review of treatment options available for pediculosis humanus capitus, including newer medications like the ones that …
Severe pediculosis capitus: a case of “crusted lice” with autoeczematizationRead More
Detection of Wolbachia in Human Lice
“Confirming the widespread presence of Wolbachia in lice would provide an immediate impetus to new approaches in the research effort to control of lice and improve the treatment of pediculosis in humans. Since it was not present in our samples, it may be that another bacterium may play the role posited for Wolbachia.”Source: Anderson, Matthew, and Eremeeva, Marina E., Georgia Southern University. See full article: "Detection of Wolbachia in Human Lice." …
Index of Human Louse and Disease Articles collected prior to 2016
The Human Louse and Disease Recent Studies Support the Critical Need for Preparedness and Lice Prevention "One of the greatest achievements in the war which the medical sciences have waged against epidemic diseases is the discovery that, during times of quiescence in interepidemic periods, the potential agents of disease may smolder in human carriers, in domestic animals - especially rodents, - and in insects." Hans Zinsser - Rats, Lice and History Pediculosis capitis is the medical term for an infestation of head lice. It is itself an infectious disease. Head lice are highly communicable parasites specific to humans. They require blood meals to survive and have been associated with various infections including rickettsial diseases. Newer technologies are validating research …
Index of Human Louse and Disease Articles collected prior to 2016Read More