Pediculus humanus

From Ganfyd

Human lice. The two human relevant varieties of Phthiraptera are:

• Pediculus humanus var. capitis - head lice
• Pediculus humanus var. humanus - human body louse (lice)

While it has been said that only the later transmits a number of classic zoonoses associated with lice, actually there is evidence that this may not strictly be the case as Bartonella quintana have recently been isolated from head lice^[1] :

• Trench fever (Bartonella quintana)
• Epidemic typhus (Rickettsia prowazekii)
• Relapsing fever (Borrelia recurrentis)

References