{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,26]],"date-time":"2026-09-26T14:04:14Z","timestamp":1790431454069,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1646179200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:italic>Pediculus humanus<\/jats:italic> is an obligate bloodsucking parasite of humans that has two ecotypes, the head louse and the body louse, which share an intimate history of coevolution with their human host. In the present work, we obtained and analysed head and body lice collected from Mbuti pygmies living in the Orientale province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. <jats:italic>Cytochrome b<\/jats:italic> DNA analysis was performed in order to type the six known lice clades (A, D, B, F, C and E). The results revealed the presence of two mitochondrial clades. Clade D was the most frequent (61.7% of 47), followed by clade A (38.3% of 47). Sixteen haplotypes were found in 47 samples, of which thirteen were novel haplotypes, indicating an unusually high genetic diversity that closely mirrors the diversity of their hosts. Moreover, we report for the first time the presence of the DNA of <jats:italic>R. felis<\/jats:italic> in three (6.4% of 47) head and body lice belonging to both clades A and D. Additional studies are needed to clarify whether the <jats:italic>Pediculus<\/jats:italic> lice can indeed transmit this emerging zoonotic bacterium to their human hosts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2022.834388","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T07:55:51Z","timestamp":1646207751000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["High Genetic Diversity and Rickettsia felis in Pediculus humanus Lice Infesting Mbuti (pygmy people), -Democratic Republic of Congo"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Nadia","family":"Amanzougaghene","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rezak","family":"Drali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jean-Christophe","family":"Shako","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bernard","family":"Davoust","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Florence","family":"Fenollar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Didier","family":"Raoult","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oleg","family":"Mediannikov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2637","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-017-5570-3","article-title":"Genetic Diversity of the Human Head Lice, Pediculus Humanus Capitis, Among Primary School Girls in Saudi Arabia, With Reference to Their Prevalence","volume":"116","author":"Al-Shahrani","year":"2017","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0005142","article-title":"Head Lice of Pygmies Reveal the Presence of Relapsing Fever Borreliae in the Republic of Congo","volume":"10","author":"Amanzougaghene","year":"2016","journal-title":"PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meegid.2019.02.006","article-title":"Mitochondrial Diversity and Phylogeographic Analysis of Pediculus Humanus Reveals a New Amazonian Clade \u201cF","volume":"70","author":"Amanzougaghene","year":"2019","journal-title":"Infect. Genet. Evol."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2019.00474","article-title":"Where Are We With Human Lice? A Review of the Current State of Knowledge","volume":"9","author":"Amanzougaghene","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0184621","article-title":"Detection of Bacterial Pathogens Including Potential New Species in Human Head Lice From Mali","volume":"12","author":"Amanzougaghene","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-020-04036-y","article-title":"Molecular Investigation and Genetic Diversity of Pediculus and Pthirus Lice in France","volume":"13","author":"Amanzougaghene","year":"2020","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"554","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2016.04.009","article-title":"Rickettsia Felis: The Complex Journey of an Emergent Human Pathogen","volume":"32","author":"Angelakis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.22336","article-title":"Mitochondrial Diversity in Human Head Louse Populations Across the Americas","volume":"152","author":"Ascunce","year":"2013","journal-title":"Am. J. Phys. Anthropol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/srep14188","article-title":"High Diversity and Rapid Diversification in the Head Louse, Pediculus Humanus (Pediculidae: Phthiraptera)","volume":"5","author":"Ashfaq","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"892","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1605.091280","article-title":"Body Lice, Yersinia Pestis Orientalis, and Black Death","volume":"16","author":"Ayyadurai","year":"2010","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B11","first-page":"82","article-title":"Q Fever: A Zoonosis","volume":"5","author":"Babudieri","year":"1959","journal-title":"Adv. Vet. Sci."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026036","article-title":"Median-Joining Networks for Inferring Intraspecific Phylogenies","volume":"16","author":"Bandelt","year":"1999","journal-title":"Mol. Biol. Evol."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1099","DOI":"10.1093\/molbev\/msq294","article-title":"Insights Into the Demographic History of African Pygmies From Complete Mitochondrial Genomes","volume":"28","author":"Batini","year":"2011","journal-title":"Mol. Biol. Evol."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"390","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.21512","article-title":"Indirect Evidence for the Genetic Determination of Short Stature in African Pygmies","volume":"145","author":"Becker","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am. J. Phys. Anthropol."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"290","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-019-3540-6","article-title":"Genetic Diversity of Human Head Lice and Molecular Detection of Associated Bacterial Pathogens in Democratic Republic of Congo","volume":"12","author":"Boumbanda Koyo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"410","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-020-04293-x","article-title":"Molecular Identification of Head Lice Collected in Franceville (Gabon) and Their Associated Bacteria","volume":"13","author":"Boumbanda-Koyo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1111\/mve.12058","article-title":"Evidence That Clade A and Clade B Head Lice Live in Sympatry and Recombine in Algeria","volume":"29","author":"Boutellis","year":"2015","journal-title":"Med. Vet. Entomol."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"R166","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2009.11.050","article-title":"The Evolution of Human Genetic and Phenotypic Variation in Africa","volume":"20","author":"Campbell","year":"2010","journal-title":"Curr. Biol."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1089\/vbz.2017.2206","article-title":"Molecular Survey of Head and Body Lice, Pediculus Humanus, in France","volume":"18","author":"Candy","year":"2018","journal-title":"Vector. Borne. Zoonotic. Dis."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"212","DOI":"10.1086\/381405","article-title":"The Analysis of Variation of mtDNA Hypervariable Region 1 Suggests That Eastern and Western Pygmies Diverged Before the Bantu Expansion","volume":"163","author":"Destro-Bisol","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am. Nat."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8088","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1413835112","article-title":"Transmission Potential of Rickettsia Felis Infection by Anopheles Gambiae Mosquitoes","volume":"112","author":"Dieme","year":"2015","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meegid.2016.02.008","article-title":"Host Switching of Human Lice to New World Monkeys in South America","volume":"39","author":"Drali","year":"2016","journal-title":"Infect. Genet. Evol."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0058088","article-title":"Distinguishing Body Lice From Head Lice by Multiplex Real-Time PCR Analysis of the Phum_PHUM540560 Gene","volume":"8","author":"Drali","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"990","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.14-0686","article-title":"A New Clade of African Body and Head Lice Infected by Bartonella Quintana and Yersinia Pestis-Democratic Republic of the Congo","volume":"93","author":"Drali","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/srep29890","article-title":"Human Population History Revealed by a Supertree Approach","volume":"6","author":"Duda","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B26","first-page":"764","article-title":"Infection Latente Et Conservation De \u201cRickettsia Burnetii\u201d Chez L\u2019homme, Le R\u00f4le Du Pou","volume":"47","author":"Giroud","year":"1954","journal-title":"Bull. Soc Pathol. Exotique."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.2307\/4567527","article-title":"The Transmission of Typhus Fever, With Especial Reference to Transmission by the Head Louse (Pediculus Capitis)","volume":"27","author":"Goldberger","year":"1912","journal-title":"Public Health Rep. (1896-1970)."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15123","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1109300108","article-title":"Genetic Evidence for Archaic Admixture in Africa","volume":"108","author":"Hammer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9020257","article-title":"Molecular Characterization and Genetic Diversity of Haplogroup E Human Lice in Guinea, West Africa","volume":"9","author":"Hammoud","year":"2021","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5154","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1017511108","article-title":"Hunter-Gatherer Genomic Diversity Suggests a Southern African Origin for Modern Humans","volume":"108","author":"Henn","year":"2011","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.2003.tb07436.x","article-title":"An Experimental Model of Human Body Louse Infection With Rickettsia Typhi","volume":"990","author":"Houhamdi","year":"2003","journal-title":"Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1589","DOI":"10.1086\/508995","article-title":"Experimental Model to Evaluate the Human Body Louse as a Vector of Plague","volume":"194","author":"Houhamdi","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"526","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2006.74.526","article-title":"Experimental Infection of Human Body Lice With Acinetobacter Baumannii","volume":"74","author":"Houhamdi","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2006.74.521","article-title":"Experimentally Infected Human Body Lice (Pediculus Humanus Humanus) as Vectors of Rickettsia Rickettsii and Rickettsia Conorii in a Rabbit Model","volume":"74","author":"Houhamdi","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1126\/science.276.5310.227","article-title":"Phylogenetic Methods Come of Age: Testing Hypotheses in an Evolutionary Context","volume":"276","author":"Huelsenbeck","year":"1997","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"998","DOI":"10.1038\/nature06742","article-title":"Genotype, Haplotype and Copy-Number Variation in Worldwide Human Populations","volume":"451","author":"Jakobsson","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgen.1002641","article-title":"Patterns of Ancestry, Signatures of Natural Selection, and Genetic Association With Stature in Western African Pygmies","volume":"8","author":"Jarvis","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS Genet."},{"key":"B38","first-page":"297","article-title":"Typhus Fevers In Kashmir State. Part II. Murine Typhus","volume":"39","author":"Kalra","year":"1951","journal-title":"Indian J. Med. Res."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed2040064","article-title":"Rickettsia Felis: A Review of Transmission Mechanisms of an Emerging Pathogen","volume":"2","author":"Legendre","year":"2017","journal-title":"Trop. Med. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0003152","article-title":"Detection of Rickettsia Felis, Rickettsia Typhi, Bartonella Species and Yersinia Pestis in Fleas (Siphonaptera) From Africa","volume":"8","author":"Leulmi","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1451","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/btp187","article-title":"DnaSP V5: A Software for Comprehensive Analysis of DNA Polymorphism Data","volume":"25","author":"Librado","year":"2009","journal-title":"Bioinformatics"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1275","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-1618.1","article-title":"Geographic Distributions and Origins of Human Head Lice (Pediculus Humanus Capitis) Based on Mitochondrial Data","volume":"94","author":"Light","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Parasitol."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e641","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0000641","article-title":"Genotyping of Human Lice Suggests Multiple Emergencies of Body Lice From Local Head Louse Populations","volume":"4","author":"Li","year":"2010","journal-title":"PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.5555\/cmj.0366-6999.62.02.p119.01","article-title":"Studies on the Murine Origin of Typhus Epidemics in North China. 3. Isolation of Murine Typhus Rickettsia From Rats, Rat-Fleas and Body-Lice of Patients During an Epidemic in a Poor House","volume":"62","author":"Liu","year":"1944","journal-title":"Chin. Med. J."},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0006397","article-title":"Body Lice of Homeless People Reveal the Presence of Several Emerging Bacterial Pathogens in Northern Algeria","volume":"12","author":"Louni","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis."},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nmni.2014.10.005","article-title":"Candidatus \u2018Rickettsia Senegalensis\u2019 in Cat Fleas in Senegal","volume":"3","author":"Mediannikov","year":"2014","journal-title":"New Microbes New Infect."},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2012.10.015","article-title":"Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks and Fleas From the Democratic Republic of the Congo","volume":"3","author":"Mediannikov","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ticks. Tick. Borne. Dis."},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.1975.tb35086.x","article-title":"Virulence of Rickettsia Prowazeki for Head Lice","volume":"266","author":"Murray","year":"1975","journal-title":"Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci."},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1937","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(06)68849-1","article-title":"Health of Indigenous People in Africa","volume":"367","author":"Ohenjo","year":"2006","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgen.1000448","article-title":"Inferring the Demographic History of African Farmers and Pygmy Hunter-Gatherers Using a Multilocus Resequencing Data Set","volume":"5","author":"Patin","year":"2009","journal-title":"PLoS Genet."},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1903.121542","article-title":"Plague Epidemics and Lice, Democratic Republic of the Congo","volume":"19","author":"Piarroux","year":"2013","journal-title":"Emerging. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"793","DOI":"10.1080\/10635150490522304","article-title":"Model Selection and Model Averaging in Phylogenetics: Advantages of Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Approaches Over Likelihood Ratio Tests","volume":"53","author":"Posada","year":"2004","journal-title":"Syst. Biol."},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/14.9.817","article-title":"MODELTEST: Testing the Model of DNA Substitution","volume":"14","author":"Posada","year":"1998","journal-title":"Bioinformatics"},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"244","DOI":"10.1111\/imb.12077","article-title":"Differential Gene Expression in Laboratory Strains of Human Head and Body Lice When Challenged With Bartonella Quintana, a Pathogenic Bacterium","volume":"23","author":"Previte","year":"2014","journal-title":"Insect Mol. Biol."},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/microbiolspec.PoH-0001-2014","article-title":"A Personal View of How Paleomicrobiology Aids Our Understanding of the Role of Lice in Plague Pandemics","volume":"4","author":"Raoult","year":"2016","journal-title":"Microbiol. Spectr."},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"888","DOI":"10.1086\/520454","article-title":"The Body Louse as a Vector of Reemerging Human Diseases","volume":"29","author":"Raoult","year":"1999","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e340","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pbio.0020340","article-title":"And Clayton, D","volume":"2","author":"Reed","year":"2004","journal-title":"H. PLoS. Biol."},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1972","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1412.080610","article-title":"Bartonella Spp. And Rickettsia Felis in Fleas, Democratic Republic of Congo","volume":"14","author":"Sackal","year":"2008","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-015-0742-4","article-title":"Molecular Survey of the Head Louse Pediculus Humanus Capitis in Thailand and Its Potential Role for Transmitting Acinetobacter Spp","volume":"8","author":"Sunantaraporn","year":"2015","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2725","DOI":"10.1093\/molbev\/mst197","article-title":"MEGA6: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis Version 6.0","volume":"30","author":"Tamura","year":"2013","journal-title":"Mol. Biol. Evol."},{"key":"B61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3378\/027.084.0105","article-title":"African Pygmies, What\u2019s Behind a Name","volume":"84","author":"Verdu","year":"2012","journal-title":"Hum. Biol."},{"key":"B62","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02148875","article-title":"[Artificial Transmission of Rickettsia Rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) on Insects, Especially on Body Lice]","volume":"135","author":"Weyer","year":"1952","journal-title":"Z. Hyg. Infektionskr."},{"key":"B63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.1952.1.809","article-title":"The Behavior of Rickettsia Akari in the Body Louse After Artificial Infection","volume":"1","author":"Weyer","year":"1952","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fcimb.2022.834388\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T07:55:56Z","timestamp":1646207756000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fcimb.2022.834388\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]]},"references-count":63,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fcimb.2022.834388"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fcimb.2022.834388","relation":{},"ISSN":["2235-2988"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2235-2988","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]]},"article-number":"834388"}}