RESPONSE OF HEAD LICE PEDICULUS HUMANUS CAPITIS TO VOLATILES FROM HUMAN SCALP AND CHEMICAL IDENTIFICATION.

FEDERICO G. GALASSI; MARIA I.PICOLLO; ARIEL. TOLOZA; PAOLA GONZALEZAUDINO

Congreso; 1st Joint meeting ISCE/ALAEC; 2016

International Society of chemical ecology

The head lice is an specific ectoparasite that mainly affects children of school age, in bothdeveloped and developing countries. It is well known that P. capitis prefer to infest someindividulas above others. However, no studies have been performed towards theundestanding of the existence of susceptible and non-susceptible indviduals to head liceinfestations. Susceptible individuals represent the main source of dispersion through headto head direct contact.In this work we adapted a T-shaped olfactometer to measure headlice walking activity in optimal conditions of light, temperatue and humidity according toour previous results. With this set up, we evaluated the response of headlice to volatilesfrom human scalp extracts obtained by rubbing filter paper on the heads surface. Wefound a significant attraction response for this volailes compared to controls.VolatileOrganic Chemicals present in the human scalp extract were analysed by Solid phasemicroextraction -Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SPME-CG-MS). Theextracts both for bioassay and for chemical analyses were from the same volunteers.Theresults showed several alcohols, saturated and unsaturaded ketones, aldehydes and fattyand short chained acids.These results represent the basis for the study of chemical cuesinvolved in human susceptibility to head lice.