DNA barcoding of cat biting lice (Felicola subrostratus): First molecular signature from India

Ectoparasites of companion animals draw negligible scientific attention. Cat biting lice Felicola subrostratus is the only louse species that infests domestic cats. Although it is found all across the world, its occurrence is poorly reported, especially in tropical nations. It causes severe skin damage and is often associated with bacterial superinfection. Though the vectoral role of the louse species is not properly established, recent reports indicated the involvement of the species in the transmission of several pathogens of zoonotic importance. Thus, in the context of the 'one health approach', the epidemiology of the louse species is a thrust area of research. In India, there is only one case report on the species from Persian cats; there are no studies on the molecular identification of the species. The present communication deals with the report of F. subrostratus infestation in cats from the Karnataka state of India along with its first molecular identification from India. Domestic cats brought to two veterinary hospitals of Karnataka from June 2024 to January 2025 were examined, and out of 513 cats examined, 15 were found to be positive for F. subrostratus infestation, with an infestation rate of 2.92%. Molecular identification of the louse species was done based on sequence information of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COX1) gene. Analysis of the COX1 partial sequence revealed a high percent identity (99.30%) with reference COX1 sequences of F. subrostratus. Moreover, the present communication narrates the phylogenetic relationship of F. subrostratus with related species under family Trichodectidae.