The Use of Rabbits Used to Propagate Human Lice for Research

The globally important human diseases of trench fever, epidemic typhus, and relapsing fever are vectored by the human louse Pediculus humanus humanus. Although these conditions are epidemically quiescent at present, they persist in socially dysfunctional situations of war, deprivation, and crowding. The taxonomically closely related head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, does not respect economic or social status and is quite common in most countries. The 2 types of lice are now recognized as conspecific ecotypes of a single species. While the body louse has been adapted for propagation in the laboratory by feeding in vivo on live rabbits, a similar animal model has not been developed for the host-specific head louse. Accordingly, research for treatment and control of the head louse has largely been performed by using laboratory-reared body lice. This review describes methods for the propagation of body lice in the laboratory and outlines at least 4 areas of research that require sufficient numbers of aged body louse cohorts produced in rabbits for use in controlled studies: 1) pediculicide development and resistance, 2) immunity and vaccine potential, 3) endosymbiotic bacteria needed by lice for nutrition, and 4) lice as vectors of human disease. The review concludes with a discussion of several ethical issues involved with the standard method of using unsedated rabbits and recommends consideration of providing sedating anesthetics for rabbits used in louse feeding procedures.