01503nas a2200253 4500008004100000022001400041245007300055210006900128260001600197490000800213520075600221653001100977653001500988653001301003653000901016653001501025653001301040100001801053700003901071700002001110700002201130700002101152856007601173 2023 eng d a0001-706X00aLice and lice-borne diseases in humans in Africa: A narrative review0 aLice and liceborne diseases in humans in Africa A narrative revi cJan-01-20230 v2373 a

Lice are host-specific insects. Human lice include Pediculus humanus (body lice) which are known to be vectors of serious human bacterial infectious diseases including epidemic typhus, relapsing fever, trench fever and plague; Pediculus humanus capitis (head lice) that frequently affect children; and Pthirus pubis, commonly known as crab lice. In Africa, human infections transmitted by lice remained poorly known and therefore, underestimated, perhaps due to the lack of diagnostic tools and professional knowledge. In this paper we review current knowledge of the microorganisms identified in human lice in the continent of Africa, in order to alert health professionals to the importance of recognizing the risk of lice-related diseases.

10aAfrica10aBartonella10aBorrelia10alice10aRickettsia10aYersinia1 aOuarti, Basma1 aMbogning-Fonkou, Descartes, Maxime1 aHouhamdi, Linda1 aMediannikov, Oleg1 aParola, Phillipe uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001706X2200401602960nas a2200253 4500008004100000022002500041245010600066210006900172260001600241300001200257490000700269520218500276653001502461653000902476653001502485653001202500653001302512100003002525700002702555700001902582700002002601700002402621856006102645 2021 eng d a1530-3667, 1557-775900aNew Records of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. in Lice Collected from Small Rodents0 aNew Records of iBartonellai spp and iRickettsiai spp in Lice Col cMay-01-2021 a342-3500 v213 a

Lice are blood-sucking insects that are of medical and veterinary significance as parasites and vectors for various infectious agents. More than half of described blood-sucking lice species are found on rodents. Rodents are important hosts of several Bartonella and Rickettsia species, and some of these bacteria are characterized as human pathogens in Europe. Rodent ectoparasites, such as fleas and ticks, are important vectors of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp., but knowledge about the presence of these bacteria in lice is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bartonella and Rickettsia bacteria in lice collected from rodents in Slovakia. The ectoparasites were collected from small rodents captured from 2010 to 2015 at four different sites in eastern Slovakia. The presence of Bartonella and Rickettsia species in lice samples was screened by real-time PCR, targeting ssrA and gltA genes, respectively. The molecular characterization of the Bartonella strains was based on sequence analysis of partial rpoB and intergenic spacer (ITS) genes, and of the Rickettsia species on sequence analysis of the gltA gene. A total of 1074 lice of seven species were collected from six rodent species. Bartonella DNA was detected in Hoplopleura affinis (collected from Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, and Myodes glareolus), Polyplax serrata (from A. agrarius), and Hoplopleura sp. (from A. flavicollis). Sequence analysis revealed that the Bartonella strains belonged to the Bartonella coopersplainsensis, Bartonella tribocorum, and Bartonella taylorii genogroups. Rickettsia DNA was detected in H. affinis and P. serrata collected from A. agrarius. Sequence analysis revealed two Rickettsia species: Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia sp. The results of the study confirm the presence of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. in lice collected from rodents.

Attachment is the preprint version, Preprint version see https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-66143/v1 or https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-66143/v1

For the printed version visit the publisher website https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/vbz.2020.2722

10aBartonella10alice10aRickettsia10arodents10aSlovakia1 aAleksandravičienė, Asta1 aPaulauskas, Algimantas1 aStanko, Michal1 aFričová, Jana1 aRadzijevskaja, Jana uhttps://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/vbz.2020.272203345nas a2200265 4500008004100000022001400041245017900055210006900234260001200303300000900315490000600324520247800330653001502808653000902823653001502832653000902847653001102856653002102867100002002888700002602908700002002934700002202954700002102976856008202997 2014 eng d a1756-330500aThe Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) as a potential reservoir and host of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary importance in South Africa0 aNamaqua rock mouse iMicaelamys namaquensisi as a potential reser c08-2014 a11pp0 v73 a

Background The role of endemic murid rodents as hosts of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary significance is well established in the northern hemisphere. In contrast, endemic murids are comparatively understudied as vector hosts in Africa, particularly in South Africa. Considering the great rodent diversity in South Africa, many of which may occur as human commensals, this is unwarranted.

Methods In the current study we assessed the ectoparasite community of a widespread southern African endemic, the Namaqua rock mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis), that is known to carry Bartonella spp. and may attain pest status. We aimed to identify possible vectors of medical and/or veterinary importance which this species may harbour and explore the contributions of habitat type, season, host sex and body size on ectoparasite prevalence and abundance.

Results Small mammal abundance was substantially lower in grasslands compared to rocky outcrops. Although the small mammal community comprised of different species in the two habitats, M. namaquensis was the most abundant species in both habitat types. From these 23 ectoparasite species from four taxa (fleas, ticks, mites and lice) were collected. However, only one flea (Xenopsylla brasiliensis) and one tick species (Haemaphysalis elliptica) have a high zoonotic potential and have been implicated as vectors for Yersinia pestis and Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia conorii, respectively. The disease status of the most commonly collected tick (Rhipicephalus distinctus) is currently unknown. Only flea burdens differed markedly between habitat types and increased with body size. With the exception of lice, all parasite taxa exhibited seasonal peaks in abundance during spring and summer.

Conclusion M. namaquensis is the dominant small mammal species irrespective of habitat type. Despite the great ectoparasite diversity harboured by M. namaquensis, only a small number of these are known as vectors of diseases of medical and/or veterinary importance but occur at high prevalence and/or abundance. This raises concern regarding the potential of this host as an endemic reservoir for zoonotic diseases. Consequently, additional sampling throughout its distributional range and research addressing the role of M. namaquensis as a reservoir for zoonotic diseases in southern Africa is urgently needed.

10aBartonella10aflea10aRickettsia10aTick10avector10aZoonotic disease1 aFagir, Dina, M.1 aUeckermann, Eddie, A.1 aHorak, Ivan, G.1 aBennett, Nigel, C1 aLutermann, Heike uhttp://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-7-36601877nas a2200265 4500008004100000245011000041210006900151260000900220300001200229490000700241520101000248653001501258653001301273653001501286653001701301653001401318653001601332653001501348653001701363653001101380100002201391700001701413700002101430856016001451 2003 eng d00aHead lice and body lice: shared traits invalidate assumptions about evolutionary and medical distinctions0 aHead lice and body lice shared traits invalidate assumptions abo c2003 a48 - 620 v243 a

Human louse-borne diseases are reemerging overseas and biological study of their arthropod vector, Pediculus, is needed. In an observational study on head lice, morphological features on the surface of the human host and on closely associated personal objects, such as clothing, influenced location of lice. Given optimal conditions, head lice readily transferred to the body and clothing, fed on the 'naked' body, retreated into, and laid eggs in, clothing or body hair, from which viable nymphs hatched and in turn continued the life cycle. Both wild and colonised head lice developed and reproduced without scalp contact or hairs and withstood periodic separation from the host. Further, head lice elicited the same dermatopathological effects as are reported for body lice. The belief that only established body lice infestations are a public health threat is challenged; an alternative disease process is proposed; and further basic research into this parasite is strongly indicated.

10aBartonella10aBorrelia10acompetence10aectoparasite10ahead lice10alouse-borne10aRickettsia10atransmission10avector1 aBailey, Anita, M.1 aProciv, Paul1 aPetersen, H., P. uhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/285919141_Head_lice_and_body_lice_Shared_traits_invalidate_assumptions_about_evolutionary_and_medical_distinctions