FIRST DETECTION OF ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII IN PEDICULUS HUMANUS CAPITIS FROM LATIN AMERICA

KELSEY LARKIN; ARIEL C. TOLOZA; JOSE A. GABRIE; CAROL A. RODRIGUEZ; MARIA MERCEDES RUEDA; OSCAR PALACIO; SHABANA JAMANI; ANA SANCHEZ

Salta

Congreso; IX Congreso Argentino de Parasitología; 2022

Sociedad Argentina de Parasitología

The presence of bacterial pathogens in the human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, has been subject to intense research in the lastdecade. Of particular interest, investigations from several countries inEurope, Asia, and Africa coincide in reporting Acinetobacter baumannii, a knownopportunistic bacterium causing frequent health-care associated outbreaks. Noreports from countries in South America have been published and is important toconfirm whether this pathogen is also present in head lice in this continent.The aim of the present study was to determinewhether Acinetobacterbaumannii was present in head licespecimens collected from three countries in Latin America.A total of 368 head lice specimens were obtainedfrom Buenos Aires, Argentina (n = 188), Medellin, Colombia (n = 47), La Hicaca,Honduras (n = 109), and San Buenaventura, Honduras (n = 24). A PCR was used todetermine the presence of A.baumannii. Descriptive statisticsincluding frequencies and percentages were calculated. Confidence intervals(CI) for prevalence values were estimated using the Wilson score method.Of the 368 head lice analyzed from three countries,6 specimens from La Hicaca, Honduras were positive for DNA of A. baumannii (1.63%). Analyzed as a country sub-group, we detected A. baumannii in 4.5% of Honduran lice (6/133). The remaining lice from Argentina,Colombia, and San Buenaventura; Honduras were all negative for A. baumannii.This study is the first to report the presence of Acinetobacter DNA inhuman head lice from Latin America. Further investigations are required toelucidate the significance of this finding.