00796nas a2200157 4500008004100000245005200041210004900093260000900142300001400151490000700165520032400172100002100496700002900517700001900546856007300565 2006 eng d00aBartonella quintana, lice, and molecular tools.0 aBartonella quintana lice and molecular tools c2006 a787 - 7870 v433 a

Comments on:First Molecular Evidence of Bartonella quintana in Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) Collected from Nepalese Children. by TOSHINORI SASAKI, SHREE KANTA S POUDEL, HARUHIKO ISAWA, TOSHIHIKO HAYASHI, NAOMI SEKI, TAKASHI TOMITA, KYOKO SAWABE, AND MUTSUO KOBAYASHI see Ref. No. 46606

1 aParola, Phillipe1 aFournier, Pierre-Edouard1 aRaoult, Didier uhttp://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/46586.pdf02984nas a2200145 4500008004100000245004100041210004000082260000900122300001400131490000900145520256100154100002202715700001902737856008202756 2006 eng d00aArthropod-borne diseases in homeless0 aArthropodborne diseases in homeless c2006 a223 - 2350 v10783 aHomeless people are particularly exposed to ectoparasite. The living conditions and the crowded shelters provide ideal conditions for the spread of lice, fleas, ticks, and mites. Body lice have long been recognized as human parasites and although typically prevalent in rural communities in upland areas of countries close to the equator, it is now increasingly encountered in developed countries especially in homeless people or inner city economically deprived population. Fleas are widespread but are not adapted to a specific host and may occasionally bite humans. Most common fleas that parasite humans are the cat, the rat, and the human fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, Xenopsylla cheopis, and Pulex irritans, respectively. Ticks belonging to the family Ixodidae, in particular, the genera Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus, and Ixodes, are frequent parasites in humans. Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis is a mite (Arachnida class) responsible for scabies. It is an obligate parasite of human skin. The hematophagic-biting mite, Liponyssoides sanguineus, is a mite of the rat, mouse, and other domestic rodents but can also bite humans. Finally, the incidence of skin disease secondary to infestation with the human bedbug, Cimex lectularius, has increased recently. Bacteria, such as Wolbacchia spp. have been detected in bedbug. The threat posed by the ectoparasite in homeless is not the ectoparasite themselves but the associated infectious diseases that they may transmit to humans. Except for scabies all these ectoparasites are potential vectors for infectious agents. Three louse-borne diseases are known at this time. Trench fever caused by Bartonella quintana (B. quintana), epidemic typhus caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, and relapsing fever caused by the spirochete Borrelia recurrentis. Fleas transmit plague (Xenopsylla cheopis and Pulex irritans), murine typhus (Xenopsylla cheopis), flea-borne spotted rickettsiosis on account of the recently described species Rickettsia felis (C. felis), and occasionally cat scratch disease on account of Bartonella henselae (C. felis). The role of fleas as potential vector of B. quintana has recently been suggested. Among the hematophagic-biting mites, L. sanguineus, is responsible for the transmission of Rickettsia akari, the etiologic agent of rickettsialpox. Virtually, no data are available on tick-borne disease in this population. This article will deal with epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of these ectoparasite and the infectious diseases they transmit to the homeless people.1 aBrouqui, Philippe1 aRaoult, Didier uhttps://phthiraptera.myspecies.info/content/arthropod-borne-diseases-homeless01414nas a2200169 4500008004100000245007800041210006900119260000900188300001600197490000800213520087600221100002001097700001501117700002201132700001901154856007101173 2006 eng d00aExperimental model to evaluate the human body louse as a vector of plague0 aExperimental model to evaluate the human body louse as a vector  c2006 a1589 - 15960 v1943 a

Yersinia pestis has been found in human body lice during plague outbreaks. To evaluate the role that the human body louse plays as a vector of plague, we allowed lice to feed on rabbits made bacteremic by intravenous inoculation of 10(9) colony-forming units of 3 strains of Y. pestis. High mortality rates were observed in all lice 2 and 3 days after infection. The lice remained infected with the strains for their life span and excreted viable organisms in their feces from day 1, although they were unable to lay eggs. The lice infected with 2 virulent strains of Y. pestis transmitted the organisms during feeding to uninfected rabbits, which became septicemic and died of plague (with 1 exception) 1 day later. Infections were transmitted to naive lice that were fed on these rabbits, showing that lice can be vectors of Y. pestis in an experimental model.

1 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aLepidi, H.1 aDrancourt, Michel1 aRaoult, Didier uhttp://phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/47461_0.pdf00823nas a2200181 4500008004100000245015100041210006900192260000900261300001400270490000900284520016800293100002600461700002000487700001400507700001900521700002400540856007700564 2006 eng d00aValidation of a Rickettsia prowazekii-Specific Quantitative Real-Time PCR Cassette and DNA Extraction Protocols Using Experimentally Infected Lice0 aValidation of a Rickettsia prowazekiiSpecific Quantitative RealT c2006 a617 - 6190 v10783 a

The presence of R. prowazekii in lice using R. prowazekii-specific qPCR cassettes showed the changes of the rickettsial burden in the lice post-infection.

1 aRozmajzl, Patrick, J.1 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aJiang, Ju1 aRaoult, Didier1 aRichards, Allen, L. uhttps://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1196/annals.1374.03600535nas a2200133 4500008004100000245014900041210006900190260000900259300001400268490000700282100002000289700001900309856007300328 2006 eng d00aExperimentally infected human body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus) as vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia conorii in a rabbit model0 aExperimentally infected human body lice Pediculus humanus humanu c2006 a521 - 5250 v741 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aRaoult, Didier uhttp://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/46340.pdf01713nas a2200145 4500008004100000245007500041210006900116260000900185300001400194490000700208520124000215100002001455700001901475856007301494 2006 eng d00aExperimental infection of human body lice with Acinetobacter baumannii0 aExperimental infection of human body lice with Acinetobacter bau c2006 a526 - 5310 v743 a

The human body louse is currently recognized as a vector of Rickettsia prowazekii, Borrelia recurrentis, and Bartonella quintana. Previous studies have reported the isolation of Acinetobacter baumannii from the body lice of homeless patients. To study how the body louse acquires A. baumannii, we infected a rabbit by infusing 2 x 10(6) colony-forming units of the louse strain of A. baumannii. Two hundred body lice were infected by feeding on the bacteremic rabbit and compared with 200 uninfected lice and two groups of 200 lice feeding on rabbits infected either with another strain of A. baumannii or A. lwoffii. Each louse group received maintenance feedings once a day on another seronegative rabbit. Body lice that fed on rabbits infused with each Acinetobacter species demonstrated a generalized infection. The body lice did not transmit their infection to the nurse rabbit by bite while feeding or to their progeny (eggs and larvae). The lice excreted living Acinetobacter species within their feces. Only the louse strain of A. baumannii was pathogenic for the body louse. An increased mortality rate was observed between the second and third days post-infection; however, they remained infected for their lifespan.

1 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aRaoult, Didier uhttp://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/46293.pdf01557nas a2200157 4500008004100000245006900041210006700110260000900177300001400186490000600200520102500206100002201231700002001253700001901273856010701292 2006 eng d00aYersinia pestis as a telluric, human ectoparasite-borne organism0 aYersinia pestis as a telluric human ectoparasiteborne organism c2006 a234 - 2410 v63 a

The classic epidemiological model of plague is an infection of rodents that is transmitted to human beings by rodent ectoparasites. This model fits with observations of sporadic and limited outbreaks, but hardly explains the persistence of plague foci for millennia or the epidemiological features drawn from the descriptions of historical pandemics. A comprehensive review of the published data, including scientific papers published in France between 1920 and 1940, allows the completion of the epidemiological chain by introducing soil as a reservoir, burrowing rodents as a first link, and human ectoparasites as the main driving force for pandemics. Modern studies are needed to confirm the validity of this controversial model and to assess the relative contribution of each link in the various epidemiological presentations of plague. If confirmed, these data should be taken into account to update public-health policies and bioterrorism risk management, particularly among ectoparasite-infested people.

1 aDrancourt, Michel1 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aRaoult, Didier uhttps://phthiraptera.myspecies.info/content/yersinia-pestis-telluric-human-ectoparasite-borne-organism01958nas a2200265 4500008004100000020001400041245009200055210006900147260000900216300001400225490000800239520118200247100001901429700001501448700002001463700001901483700002901502700001601531700002201547700001601569700001501585700001401600700001901614856005901633 2006 eng d a0022-189900aEvidence for Louse-Transmitted Diseases in Soldiers of Napoleon's Grand Army in Vilnius0 aEvidence for LouseTransmitted Diseases in Soldiers of Napoleons  c2006 a112 - 1200 v1933 a

Background. Many soldiers in Napoleon's Grand Army died of infectious diseases during its retreat from Russia. Because soldiers were commonly infested with body lice, it has been speculated that louse-borne infectious diseases, such as epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), were common.Methods. We investigated this possibility during recent excavations of a mass grave of Napoleon's soldiers in Vilnius, Lithuania. Segments of 5 body lice, identified morphologically and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing, were found in earth from the grave that also contained fragments of soldiers' uniforms.Results. DNA of Bartonella quintana (the agent of trench fever) was identified by PCR and sequencing in 3 of the lice. Similarly, PCR and sequencing of dental pulp from the remains of 35 soldiers revealed DNA of B. quintana in 7 soldiers and DNA of R. prowazekii in 3 other soldiers.Conclusions. Our results show that louse-borne infectious diseases affected nearly one-third of Napoleon's soldiers buried in Vilnius and indicate that these diseases might have been a major factor in the French retreat from Russia.

1 aRaoult, Didier1 aDutour, O.1 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aJankauskas, R.1 aFournier, Pierre-Edouard1 aArdagna, Y.1 aDrancourt, Michel1 aSignoli, M.1 aLa, V., D.1 aMacia, Y.1 aAboudharam, G. uhttps://academic.oup.com/jid/article/193/1/112/863741/