Unité de Recherche sur le Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Émergentes (URMITIE) IRD198, CNRS 7278, INSERM 1095, Institute Hospitalo-Universitarie (IHU) Méditerranée-Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France.
Published: December 2017
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
We report two cases of louse-borne relapsing fever observed at our Institution in June 2016. Both patients were young asylum seekers from Africa who had recently arrived in Milan, Italy. Notably, direct microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears was repeatedly negative for the presence of spirochetes and the diagnosis, supported by clinical and epidemiologic evidence, required molecular confirmation by polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA extracted from blood and sequencing of the amplified products.
Epidermal parasitic skin diseases are a family of parasitic diseases which occur globally or are frequent in special settings. Epidermal parasitic skin diseases occur in travelers and migrants, although epidemiology and/or clinical manifestations differ between these groups. The objective of this study is to summarize the existing knowledge concerning tungiasis, hookworm-related cutaneous larva migrans, scabies, pediculosis capitis and pediculosis corporis in the context of travel and migration, and to identify risk factors for infection.
The study focuses on two types of species within a genus that cause Lyme Disease (LD) and Relapsing Fever (RF), highlighting their growing distribution due to climate change and human activities.
It emphasizes the need for a One Health strategy to understand the interactions between humans, animals, and the environment in the transmission of these diseases.
A review of existing literature identified 429 relevant studies indicating that several species linked to LD and RF are widespread in vectors, animals, and humans across Mediterranean countries, suggesting a need for monitoring and prevention strategies.
Human lice, as specific ectoparasites of humans, transmit serious diseases like epidemic typhus, prompting the need for effective louse research methods.
The study developed a new rearing technique for Orlando (Or) body lice using artificial membranes, comparing two systems: the Hemotek feeding system and a Petri dish method.
Results showed that while blood anticoagulants influenced louse longevity and development, the Petri dish method with heparinized human blood allowed successful louse rearing, enabling further studies on pathogens and pesticides without compromising animal welfare.
Background: Tick- and louse-borne relapsing fever are highly-neglected, vector-borne diseases caused by diverse Borrelia species. Presently, there are no data available on the endemicity of tick- and louse-borne relapsing fever spirochetes in Kenya. Here, we present data of a retrospective study on the seroprevalence of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) in northern Kenya.
