title: No evidence of Bartonella quintana but detection of Acinetobacter baumannii in head lice from elementary schoolchildren in Paris.
abstract: The human body louse is the only known vector of Bartonella quintana. However, the presence of this bacterium has recently been detected in the head lice of homeless individuals and Nepalese slum children. Previous studies have reported the isolation of Acinetobacter baumannii from the body lice of homeless individuals. An epidemiological survey including 74 schools was conducted between 2008 and 2009 in Paris. After a first visual examination, the hair of children with suspected pediculosis was combed with a fine-tooth comb to collect live adult head lice. Molecular studies were performed on randomly selected DNA samples to detect B. quintana and A. baumannii by specific quantitative real-time PCR. Among a collection of 288 DNA samples, B. quintana was not detected, but A. baumannii was detected in 95 DNA samples (33%). Further study is needed to determine the significance of the finding of A. baumannii in head lice.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne and Department of Dermatology, Hospital Henri Mondor, 51, avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010 Créteil, France. sophie.bouvresse@hmn.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouvresse
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Socolovshi
authors.forename: Zohra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Berdjane
authors.forename: Rémy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Arezki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izri
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chosidow
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brouqui
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D018413:Bartonella quintana / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D010374:Pediculus / Q000382:microbiology*; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*