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Related terms: Body Lice, Crabs, Lice, body, Lice, pubic, Pediculosis, pubic lice, Pubic Lice
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Head, Body Lice Are Genetically Very Similar
Posted 12 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 12 – Genetic evidence suggests that head and body lice are the same species, a new study says. The finding is significant because body lice transmit deadly bacterial diseases while head lice do not, the researchers explained. The researchers compared the number and sequences of all the protein-coding genes expressed at each life-cycle stage of head and body lice and found that the two organisms were very similar. "The differences in their sequences were so minor that if we didn't know they were separate groups, we would have considered them the same species," study leader Barry Pittendrigh, an entomology professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, said in a university news release. "As body lice transmit diseases and head lice don't, this system provides a unique opportunity to understand subtle changes that allow body lice to transmit human diseases," ... Read more
Bed Bug Insecticides Causing Sickness, CDC Warns
Posted 22 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Sept. 22 – Bed bug infestations are bad enough, but a new report finds that more than 100 Americans have become sickened from exposure to the insecticides used to eliminate the pests. The cases happened across seven states, researchers said, and bed bug insecticide exposure may have even contributed to one death. "The majority of cases involved misuse," said report co-author Dr. Geoffrey Calvert, a medical officer at the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Although the issue is not yet a major public health problem, he did offer one key recommendation for folks battling bed bugs. "If you can't control bed bugs with non-chemical means, such as washing and vacuuming, that means it's probably going to be difficult to eradicate them, and we would recommend that people enlist the services of a pest control operator," Calvert said. The findings are published ... Read more
Genome for Human Body Lice Unlocked
Posted 21 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 21 – Scientists who sequenced the genome of human body lice say their research will help improve understanding about the blood-sucking parasite's biology and evolution, and potentially lead to better control methods. Body lice, which live in clothing and can spread bacterial diseases, thrive during economic downturns, wars and other crises that force people to live in unsanitary conditions. The multi-center team of researchers found that the body louse, which is closely related to the head louse, has the smallest known genome of any insect. This likely reflects its somewhat protected habitat and predictable diet, said University of Illinois entomology professor Barry Pittendrigh. "The ecology of lice is very, very simple. It either lives in your hair or on your clothing, and it has one type of meal, and that's blood. So most of the genes that are responsible for sensing or ... Read more
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