Amazonian head lice-specific genotypes are putatively pre-Columbian.

ABSTRACT: Head and body lice are strict obligate human ectoparasites with three mitochondrial phylotypes (A, B, and C). Using molecular methods for genotyping lice (Cytochrome b and multi-spacer typing), and comparing our results with all the sequences of human lice that were genotyped previously, we assessed the presence of a specific American genotype that most likely predates the Columbian era in head lice collected from Amazonia.

SUBMITTER: Boutellis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3752820 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature