Abstract
BackgroundHuman head lice and body lice have been classified based on phenotypic characteristics, including geographical source, ecotype (preferred egg laying site hair or clothes), shape and color. More recently, genotypic studies have been based on mitochondrial genes, nuclear genes and intergenic spacers. Mitochondrial genetic analysis reclassified lice into three genotypes (A, B and C). However, no previous study has attempted to correlate both genotypic and phenotypic data.Materials and MethodsLice were collected in four African countries: Senegal, Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia and were photographed to compare their colors. The Multi-Spacer-Typing (MST) method was used to genotype lice belonging to the worldwide Clade A, allowing a comparison of phenotypic and genotypic data.ResultsNo congruence between louse color and genotype has been identified. Phylogenetic analysis of the spacer PM2, performed including lice from other sources, showed the existence of an African cluster of human lice. However, the analysis of other spacers suggested that lice from different areas are interbreeding.ConclusionsWe identified two geotypes of Clade A head and body lice including one that is specifically African, that can be either black or grey and can live on the head or in clothing. We also hypothesized that lice from different areas are interbreeding.
Highlights
Humans are infested by two genera of lice: Pthirus and Pediculus.The Pediculus genus has been studied for decades and is classified based on its ecology, shape and color [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]
We identified two geotypes of Clade A head and body lice including one that is African, that can be either black or grey and can live on the head or in clothing
Clade A body lice collected in southern Ethiopia and lice collected in France were grey (Figure 1)
Summary
The Pediculus genus has been studied for decades and is classified based on its ecology, shape and color [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. Differences in shape between head and body lice have been described, but these criteria have not been shown to be relevant enough to divide the two into distinct species [12]. Human head lice and body lice have been classified based on phenotypic characteristics, including geographical source, ecotype (preferred egg laying site hair or clothes), shape and color. No previous study has attempted to correlate both genotypic and phenotypic data
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