Report of the human body louse (Pediculus humanus) from clothes sold in a market in central Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pediculus humanus, the human body louse, is widespread where overcrowding and lack of hygiene are present, in areas of the world affected by poverty, war, famine and presence of refugees. It has recently been considered re-emerging among homeless populations in developed countries. In Italy, it was last reported in 1945. Pediculus humanus is a vector of highly relevant human pathogens.

Methods

In October 2018, a woman found small insects on a T-shirt bought second-hand in a local street market in a village 35 km south of Rome (central Italy). Insects were identified both morphologically and by molecular analysis. Moreover, they were analyzed molecularly for the presence of Rickettsia prowazekii, Borrelia recurrentis, Bartonella quintana, Coxiella burnetii and Yers

SUBMITTER: De Liberato C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6500014 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature