@article {96448, title = {Population Structure and Bartonella quintana in Head and Body Lice in Pokhara, Nepal (Anoplura: Pediculidae)}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {109}, year = {2023}, month = {Nov-29-2023}, pages = {559-564}, abstract = {

This study examined the population structure of head and body lice infesting a random sample of people in Pokhara, Nepal during 2003, 2004, and 2005. A total of 106 participants (6 to 72 yr old, median = 12) volunteered to have lice collected from their heads and clothing. Most participants (70\%) harbored only head lice, some (15\%) had only body lice, and some (15\%) had concurrent infestations of head and body lice (dual infestations). A total of 1,472 lice was collected. Significantly more nymphs were collected than adult lice. Louse populations were generally small (geometric mean = 8.8 lice per person) but a few participants harbored larger louse populations (maximum = 65 lice). People with dual infestations harbored significantly more lice than people with single infestations; however, there was no difference in the infestation intensities between people infested with head lice only vs. those infested with body lice only. Male participants harbored significantly more lice than did females. There were no significant differences in infestation intensity due to participant age or their socioeconomic level. The sex ratio of adult lice was increasingly female biased with increasing adult louse density. Infection of lice with Bartonella quintana was low (ca. 1.5\%). Pediculosis is a common problem in urban Nepa

}, keywords = {body lice, head lice, Nepal, Pediculosis}, issn = {0022-3395}, doi = {10.1645/23-64}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-parasitology/volume-109/issue-6/23-64/Population-Structure-and-Bartonella-quintana-in-Head-and-Body-Lice/10.1645/23-64.short}, author = {Shree Kanta S. Poudel and Vaughan,J. A.} } @article {46378, title = {Patterns of erythrocyte digestion by bloodsucking insects: constraints on vector competence}, journal = {Journal of Medical Entomology}, volume = {30}, year = {1993}, note = {LR: 20041117; JID: 0375400; ppublish}, month = {1993}, pages = {214 - 216}, address = {UNITED STATES}, abstract = {

Two general patterns of erythrocyte digestion were observed in representative species from four insect orders. Ingested erythrocytes were hemolyzed rapidly, and blood meals remained liquefied within body lice, Pediculus humanus L. and the fleas Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche) and Xenopyslla cheopis (Rothschild). Peritrophic membrane was absent. In contrast, there was a lag time of 6-18 h before substantial degradation of erythrocytes within the blood meals of bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L.; the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli; and the mosquitoes Anopheles stephensi Liston and Culex pipiens L. Blood meals of sand flies and mosquitoes were clotted and surrounded by peritrophic membrane at 18-24 h after feeding. Clotting and peritrophic membrane were less pronounced in bed bugs. It is proposed that acquisition and maintenance of pathogen types (i.e., prokaryotic versus eukaryotic) within insects are constrained by the general pattern of bloodmeal processing.

}, keywords = {animals, bedbugs, Comparative Study, Culicidae, Fleas/physiology, Insect vectors, Pediculus, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}t, Research Support, U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}t, P.H.S.}, isbn = {0022-2585}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/30.1.214}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/jme/article-abstract/30/1/214/2221260}, author = {Vaughan,J. A. and Azad,A. F.} }