In a recent study published in the journal PLOS Biology , researchers adapt a strain of human body lice to a membrane feeder to study its infection dynamics with Yersinia pestis , the causative agent of the plague. Study: Yersinia pestis can infect the Pawlowsky glands of human body lice and be transmitted by louse bite. Image Credit: PPK_studio / Shutterstock.
com Human body lice, otherwise known as Pediculus humanus humanus , are blood-feeding parasites that thrive in conditions of poor hygiene. They are known vectors for pathogens like Bartonella quintana , Borrelia recurrentis , and Rickettsia prowazekii ; however, their role in transmitting Y. pestis is controversial.
Although traditionally implicated fleas and rats are well-established vectors, recent studies suggest that human lice may also potentially transmit plague and, as a result, may have been involved in previous pandemics, including the Black Plague. Experimental evidence shows that lice can become infected with Y. pestis , especially at high bacteremia levels, and transmit the bacterium; however, their efficiency and survival rates post-infection are variable.
Previous experiments have reported low transmission rates, whereas more recent studies using rabbit-adapted lice showed higher transmission but rapid louse mortality. Thus, further research is needed to clarify the role of body lice in plague transmission, including minimum infective doses, infection duration, and transmission mechanisms. To address this .
