URMITE, CNRS-IRD, UMR 6236/198, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses AP-HM, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection ) Service d'Accueil des Urgences Adultes, Pôle AUR, CHU hôpital Nord, Marseille, France.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2012 Apr;18(4):332-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03778.x. Epub 2012 Feb 23.
Several of the infectious diseases associated with human lice are life-threatening, including epidemic typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever, which are caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, Borrelia recurrentis, and Bartonella quintana, respectively. Although these diseases have been known for several centuries, they remain a major public health concern in populations living in poor-hygiene conditions because of war, social disruption, severe poverty, or gaps in public health management. Poor-hygiene conditions favour a higher prevalence of body lice, which are the main vectors for these diseases. Trench fever has been reported in both developing and developed countries in populations living in poor conditions, such as homeless individuals. In contrast, outbreaks of epidemic typhus and epidemic relapsing fever have occurred in jails and refugee camps in developing countries. However, reports of a significantly high seroprevalence for epidemic typhus and epidemic relapsing fever in the homeless populations of developed countries suggest that these populations remain at high risk for outbreaks of these diseases. Additionally, experimental laboratory studies have demonstrated that the body louse can transmit other emerging or re-emerging pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Yersinia pestis. Therefore, a strict survey of louse-borne diseases and the implementation of efficient delousing strategies in these populations should be public health priorities.
几种与人体虱有关的传染病具有致命危险，包括流行性斑疹伤寒、回归热和战壕热，分别由普氏立克次体、回归热螺旋体和五日热巴通体引起。尽管这些疾病已经存在了几个世纪，但由于战争、社会动荡、极度贫困或公共卫生管理方面的差距，它们仍然是生活在卫生条件差的人群中的主要公共卫生问题。卫生条件差有利于体虱的更高流行率，体虱是这些疾病的主要传播媒介。在卫生条件差的人群中，如无家可归者，已报告有战壕热。相比之下，在发展中国家的监狱和难民营中爆发了流行性斑疹伤寒和流行性回归热。然而，在发达国家无家可归者人群中，流行性斑疹伤寒和流行性回归热的血清阳性率显著较高的报告表明，这些人群仍然存在这些疾病爆发的高风险。此外，实验性实验室研究表明，体虱可以传播其他新出现或重新出现的病原体，如鲍曼不动杆菌和鼠疫耶尔森菌。因此，对体虱传播疾病进行严格调查，并在这些人群中实施有效的除虱策略，应成为公共卫生的重点。
