Abstract:
Genomic DNA from pools of lice was subjected to PCR analysis for Bartonella spp., Borrelia
spp. Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp. and Yersinia pestis. All 102 lice pools were negative
for the afore mentioned pathogens, with the exception of Bartonella species found among
6 of 65 (9.2%) head lice pools and1 of 33 clothing lice pools. Identification was achieved
by sequencing the ribosomal intragenic transcribed spacer region (ITS), revealing all to
be Bartonella quintana. Although established as a clothing louse-borne infection, typically
causing chronic bacteraemia, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis and endocarditis, this
has only been rarely reported among head lice. The higher numbers of infected head lice
pools compared with clothing lice suggests their competence for maintaining this infection
within Ethiopia.
