@article{fdi:010073113,
  title = {{B}ody lice of homeless people reveal the presence of several emerging bacterial pathogens in northern {A}lgeria},
  author = {{L}ouni, {M}. and {M}ana, {N}. and {B}itam, {I}. and {D}ahmani, {M}. and {P}arola, {P}. and {F}enollar, {F}. and {R}aoult, {D}. and {M}ediannikov, {O}leg},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground {H}uman lice, {P}ediculus humanus, are obligate blood-sucking parasites. {B}ody lice, {P}ediculus h. humanus, occur in two divergent mitochondrial clades ({A} and {D}) each exhibiting a particular geographic distribution. {C}urrently, the body louse is recognized as the only vector for louse-borne diseases. {I}n this study, we aimed to study the genetic diversity of body lice collected from homeless populations in three localities of northern {A}lgeria, and to investigate louse-borne pathogens in these lice. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal findings {I}n this study, 524 body lice specimens were collected from 44 homeless people in three localities: {A}lgiers, {T}izi {O}uzou and {B}oumerdes located in northern {A}lgeria. {D}uplex {G}lade specific real-time {PCR}s (q{PCR}) and {C}ytochrome b (cytb) mitochondrial {DNA} (mt{DNA}) analysis were performed in order to identify the mitochondrial {G}lade. {S}creening of louse-borne pathogens bacteria was based on targeting specific genes for each pathogen using q{PCR} supplemented by sequencing. {A}ll body lice belong to {G}lade {A}. {T}hrough amplification and sequencing of the cytb gene we confirmed the presence of three haplotypes: {A}5, {A}9 and {A}63, which is novel. {T}he molecular investigation of the 524 body lice samples revealed the presence of four human pathogens: {B}artonella quintana (13.35%), {C}oxiella burnetii (10.52%), {A}naplasma phagocytophilum (0.76%) and {A}cinetobacter species ({A}. baumannii, {A}. johnsonii, {A}. berezeniae, {A}. nosocomialis and {A}. variabilis, in total 46.94%). {C}onclusions/{S}ignificance {T}o the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to show the genetic diversity and presence of several emerging pathogenic bacteria in homeless' body lice from {A}lgeria. {W}e also report for the first time, the presence of several species of {A}cinetobacter in human body lice. {O}ur results highlight the fact that body lice may be suspected as being a much broader vector of several pathogenic agents than previously thought. {N}evertheless, other studies are needed to encourage epidemiological investigations and surveys of louse-associated infections.},
  keywords = {{ALGERIE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{PL}o{S} {N}eglected {T}ropical {D}iseases},
  volume = {12},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {e0006397 [18 p.]},
  ISSN = {1935-2735},
  year = {2018},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.ptnd.0006397},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010073113},
}