title: [Lice and lice-borne diseases in humans].
abstract: Among the three lice which parasite the human being, the human body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus, is a vector of infectious diseases. It lives and multiplies in clothes and human infestation is associated with cold weather and a lack of hygiene. Three pathogenic bacteria are transmitted by the body louse: 1) Rickettsia prowazekii, the agent of epidemic typhus of which the most recent outbreak (and the largest since World War II) was observed during the civil war in Burundi; 2) Borrelia recurrentis, the agent of relapsing fever, historically responsible of massive outbreaks in Eurasia and Africa, which prevails currently in Ethiopia and neighboring countries; 3) Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, chronic bacteremia, endocarditis, and lymphadenopathy. Body louse infestation, associated with a decline in social and hygienic conditions provoked by civil unrest and economic instability, is reemergent worldwide. Recently, a forth human pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii, has been associated to the body louse.
authors.affiliation: L 'Unité des Rickettsies, CNRS UMR 6020, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Houhamdi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001179:Arthropod Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D018413:Bartonella quintana; D001898:Borrelia; D006801:Humans; D010374:Pediculus / Q000382:microbiology*; D012061:Relapsing Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*; D012283:Rickettsia prowazekii; D014205:Trench Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*; D014438:Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*