INVESTIGADORES
PICOLLO Maria Ines
artículos
Título:
Pediculus humanus capitis (head lice) and Pediculus humanus humanus (body lice): response to laboratory temperature and humidity and susceptibility to mono-terpenoids
Autor/es:
GALLARDO A., G. MOUGABURE CUETO & M.I. PICOLLO
Revista:
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
Editorial:
SPRINGER
Referencias:
Año: 2009 vol. 105 p. 163 - 167
ISSN:
0932-0113
Resumen:
Human pediculosis is produced by Pediculus
humanus humanus (Linnaeus 1758) and Pediculus
humanus capitis (De Geer 1767). Laboratory-reared body
lice, susceptible to insecticides, were used as reference in
toxicological studies on head lice. In this work, we
evaluated the survival of both subspecies at different
temperatures and relative humidities and we propose the
optimal conditions for comparative bioassays. Moreover,
we used these conditions to test the activity of three
monoterpenoids against both lice. The results showed
differential response to changes in temperature and
humidity between both organisms. The survival of body
lice ranged between 83% and 100% and was not affected
for the tested conditions. The survival of head lice
depended on temperature, humidity, and exposure time.
The optimal conditions for head lice were 18ºC and 97%
relative humidity at 18 h of exposition. The insecticidal
activity of three monoterpenoids (pulegone, linalool, and
1,8-cineole), evaluated according the selected conditions
by topical application, showed no significant differences
between males of body and head lice. To conclude, as
head lice required more special laboratory conditions than
body lice, the optimal head lice conditions should be used
in both organisms in comparative bioassays. Body louse
is an appropriate organism for testing products against of
head louse.