Prevalence of Pediculus humunus capitis, Pediculus humanus corporis, and Pthirus pubis in Al-Kut, Iraq.

Lice infestations or pediculosis occurs throughout the world and is caused by Pediculus humunus capitis (head louse), Pediculus humanus corporis (body louse), and Pthirus pubis (crab louse). This study was conducted within March-October 2020 and aimed to investigate the presence of human lice among 1,632 individuals from 225 families living at different economic and social levels in AL-Kut city, Iraq, and its suburbs (urban, rural, and slum areas). Data collection was performed on volunteer families by completing survey forms and visual examinations. The families were divided by the number of members into 10-15, 7-9, 4-6, and 3-2 persons, for which, the infestation rates were estimated at 24.2%, 21.4%, 12.5%, and 8.6%, respectively. Moreover, in this study, urban, rural, and slum areas were infected at 11.5%, 33.6%, and 21.6 %, respectively. The infestation appeared in all ages, and the higher and lowest rates were obtained for the age ranges of 3-17 and 18-40 years old (79.04% and 20.9%), respectively. Based on the results, the rates of infestation were 21.8% and 13.3% in females and males, respectively. The findings of this study showed that the infection rate of Pediculus humanus corporis among the subjects aged 4-24 years old was 11.0% and that of Pthirus pubis was 3.0% in the cases aging 14-32 years old. Due to the high infestation with ectoparasites in these areas and large families, it is highly important to create conditions for health and provide information to control and prevent infection.

[Case report: Infestation of lower extremities by Phthirus pubis, Linnaeus 1758 after contact with second-hand furniture]. / Olgu sunumu: Ikinci el esya kullanimi sonrasi görülen Phthirus pubis Linneasus 1758'in bacak bölgesi enfestasyonu.

This case has been filed as a 21-year old male patient who was diagnosed with P. pubis present in his tibial hair. The agent was not found in body parts of the patient other than both lower extremities. The infestation is thought to stem from using second-hand furniture which had been bought the day before the case developed; as other possible ways of infection such as transmission through the rest of the residents of the house were ruled out in our medical investigation. It is understood that second-hand furniture pieces such as mattresses, quilts, carpets, and sofas might be a source of infection of P. pubis including tibial hair areas. The conclusion is that, in infested people or those who are exposed to such a risk, this possibility should be taken into account.

Crab louse infestation in pre-Columbian America.

Until now, Pthirus pubis infestation in ancient human populations had only been recorded in the Old World. We found crab lice on South American mummified bodies from the Atacama Desert region. Crab louse eggs were found attached to the pubic hairs of a 2,000-yr-old Chilean mummy. Well-preserved adults were found in sediment and clothing from a Peruvian mummy dated 1,000 yr ago. Paleoparasitological evidence expands the knowledge of the distribution of this ectoparasite in ancient populations. As with many other parasites, pubic lice recorded in Andean populations show the antiquity of this parasite in the New World. It is likely that P. pubis entered the continent with early human migration to the New World.

Phthiriasis palpebral / Phthiriasis of the eye-lid

La phthiriasis palpebral es una causa poco común de blefaritis y conjuntivitis que puede fácilmente ser omitida por el oftalmólogo. Un alto índice de sospecha y un cuidadoso examen en la lámpara de hendidura sobre las pestañas y márgenes palpebrales del paciente lleva a un diagnóstico certero. Aunque los piojos pueden ser difíciles de detectar, la acumulación de liendres (larvas del piojo) y de las heces de los piojos sobre las pestañas, que se aprecian como un material granular rojizo marrón en la base de las pestañas, ayuda a realizar el diagnóstico. La pediculosis se transmite por contacto íntimo con individuo infestado por vestidos y ropas de cama contaminadas, la otra forma de transmisión es típicamente por contacto sexual. En los niños la infestación puede ser debida al contacto íntimo con la madre o niñera. Pestañas y cejas son los sitios de predilección. En los adultos la phthiriasis palpebral es probablemente transmitida del área genital a los ojos mediante la mano. El tratamiento medicamentoso debe acompañarse de una cuidadosa remoción de los piojos y liendres de las pestañas del paciente. La aplicación local de pediculicidas tales como: fluoresceína al 20 por ciento, ungüento de óxido de mercurio amarillo al 1 por ciento, petrolato de fisostigmina, lociones de hexacloruro de gamma benceno, malatión, carbaryl y permetrina, o el uso de crioterapia y láser de argón. Miembros familiares, contactos sexuales, compañeros íntimos deben ser examinados y tratados, vestidos, ropas artículos personales deberán ser desinfectados a una temperatura de 50 grados centígrados por 30 minutos.