By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated PressWASHINGTON — Sometimes scientific research can be a lousy job. Literally.In their quest to understand how life works, researchers reported Monday they have sequenced the genome of the human body louse.That's right, those annoying little suckers that live on human blood and place their eggs in clothing.From a practical standpoint, the findings could lead to better ways to eliminate this parasite, which can carry diseases to people, according to the researchers who were led by Ewen F. Kirkness of the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Md. and Barry R. Pittendrigh of the University of Illinois, Urbana.For its digestion, the human body louse relies on a specific type of bacteria, which is not resistant to antibiotics. So finding a way to get drugs to the bacteria might kill the lice too. Knowing more about lice may also lead to new types of repellent.The louse genome is small and contains relatively few genes related to light reception or reacting to odors and tastes, the study found.The researchers said it appears that the human body louse evolved from the human head louse about the time people started wearing clothes, offering lice another place to hide.In addition, they noted that the human louse and the Chimpanzee louse evolved from a common ancestor between 5 million and 7 million years ago.It's been more than an annoyance ever since, potentially carrying typhus, relapsing fever and trench fever."Beyond its importance in the context of human health, the body louse genome is of considerable importance to understanding insect evolution," said May R. Berenbaum, head of the entomology department at the University of Illinois, in a statement.The genome sequencing effort involved researchers at 28 institutions in the U.S., Europe, Australia and South Korea.Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.
