Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host

Leprosy, one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history, remains prevalent in Asia, Africa, and South America, with over 200,000 cases every year. Although ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches on the major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, have elucidated the disease's evolutionary history the role of animal hosts and interspecies transmission in the past remains unexplored. Research has uncovered relationships between medieval strains isolated from archaeological human remains and modern animal hosts such as the red squirrel in England. However, the time frame, distribution, and direction of transmissions remains unknown. Here, we studied 25 human and 12 squirrel samples from two archaeological sites in Winchester, a medieval English city well known for its leprosarium and connections to the fur trade. We reconstructed four medieval M. leprae genomes, including one from a red squirrel, at a 2.2-fold average coverage. Our analysis revealed a phylogenetic placement of all strains on branch 3 as well as a close relationship between the squirrel strain and one newly reconstructed medieval human strain. In particular, the medieval squirrel strain is more closely related to some medieval human strains from Winchester than to modern red squirrel strains from England, indicating a yet-undetected circulation of M. leprae in non-human hosts in the Middle Ages. Our study represents the first One Health approach for M. leprae in archaeology, which is centered around a medieval animal host strain, and highlights the future capability of such approaches to understand the disease's zoonotic past and current potential.ISSN:0960-9822ISSN:1879-044

The sense of touch in relation to working with archaeological human skeletal remains

Whilst sight may be the most recognised factor in the analysis of human remains touch will also play an important part in our interpretations and is paramount in the learning experience for osteology students. Both the look and feel of archaeological human skeletal remains will be dependent on a variety of factors. The age-at-death and biological sex of the deceased as well as taphonomic processes associated with the burial environment will all play a part in both the texture of skeletal remains. The geology of the burial site, rates of fluctuation in ground water, and any disturbance to the site, as well as funerary rites performed (coffined or non-coffined burials), and the time since burial, will all play a part in the preservation of human remains. These factors will affect both how the remains look and feel in terms of erosion, weight, colouration, and completeness of individual bones. Pathological conditions that these once living individuals may have suffered from can also cause changes to the bones in life which remain apparent in their skeletal remains, such as loss of bone density, increase in bone formation, and deformation. This chapter will aim to discuss these processes reflecting on how human skeletal remains are perceived through the sense of touch. The results of a questionnaire directed at recent students will then be presented, focusing on the experiences and reflections, of the first time that trainees handled archaeological human skeletal remains, indicating that most people are surprised by the way the remains feel. Comparisons with plastic training replica skeletons will also be discussed to determine if these are good proxies for the real remains. Finally, the respondents were asked to reflect on the emotional experiences that they felt on handling human remains. Their reflections are mostly positive and overall, it can be seen that the sense of touch is an important part of the learning experience. <br/

Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host

Leprosy, one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history, remains prevalent in Asia, Africa, and South America, with over 200,000 cases every year. Although ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches on the major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, have elucidated the disease’s evolutionary history the role of animal hosts and interspecies transmission in the past remains unexplored. Research has uncovered relationships between medieval strains isolated from archaeological human remains and modern animal hosts such as the red squirrel in England. However, the time frame, distribution, and direction of transmissions remains unknown. Here, we studied 25 human and 12 squirrel samples from two archaeological sites in Winchester, a medieval English city well known for its leprosarium and connections to the fur trade. We reconstructed four medieval M. leprae genomes, including one from a red squirrel, at a 2.2-fold average coverage. Our analysis revealed a phylogenetic placement of all strains on branch 3 as well as a close relationship between the squirrel strain and one newly reconstructed medieval human strain. In particular, the medieval squirrel strain is more closely related to some medieval human strains from Winchester than to modern red squirrel strains from England, indicating a yet-undetected circulation of M. leprae in non-human hosts in the Middle Ages. Our study represents the first One Health approach for M. leprae in archaeology, which is centered around a medieval animal host strain, and highlights the future capability of such approaches to understand the disease’s zoonotic past and current potential

Uncovering the lives of nineteenth century inhabitants of Bristol through osteoarchaeological and documentary analysis

This chapter presents biographies for five named individuals, Maria Taylor (1822-1845), Thomas Rokeby Price (1849-1853), Mark Kelson (1801-1857), George Cumberland (1754-1848) and Elizabeth Cumberland (1752-1837), excavated from the nineteenth century cemetery of St George’s, Bristol. This collaboration between osteoarchaeological and historical research allows the illumination of less studied groups, such as women, children, and those of lower socioeconomic status. For this period there is a wealth of documentary evidence relating to occupation, family status and childbirth, and causes of death and injury. Letters written by George Cumberland also allow a more personal view of his bodily ailments. The information has been structured into three case studies. Maria Taylor and Thomas Rokeby Price both have tuberculosis cited as the cause of death so this enabled a comparison to the evidence for any skeletal lesions associated with this diagnosis, adding to our knowledge of the manifestations of tuberculosis. Mark Kelson has evidence for a healed fracture, with his injury being reported in the local press. This allowed a rare comparison with the state of healing of the injury and the known timeframe of the event to be explored. George and Elizabeth Cumberland were very elderly when they died enabling an exploration of the ageing body, and outlining some of the problems inherent in osteological methods of age determination. This exploration of five individuals has allowed us to gain new insights into the lived experience of the inhabitants of Bristol in the nineteenth century

Bioarchaeological Investigation of individuals with suspected multibacillary leprosy from the mediaeval leprosarium of St. Mary Magdalen, Winchester, Hampshire, UK

Introduction. We have examined four burials from the St. Mary Magdalen mediaeval leprosarium cemetery in Winchester, UK. One, (Sk.8) was a male child, two (Sk.45 and Sk.52) were adolescent females, the fourth (Sk.512) an adult male. The cemetery was in use between the 10th to 12th centuries CE. All showed skeletal lesions of leprosy. Additionally, one of the two females (Sk.45) had lesions suggestive of multi-cystic tuberculosis and the second (Sk.52) of leprogenic odontodyplasia (LO), a rare malformation of the roots of the permanent maxillary incisors. Aims and Methodology. We have used ancient DNA testing and osteological examination of the individuals, supplemented with X-ray and micro CT scan as necessary to assess disease status.Results and Conclusions. The presence of M. leprae DNA was confirmed in both females and genotyping showed SNP-type 3I-1 strains but with clear genotypic variation. We could not confirm MTB complex DNA in the female individual SK.45. High levels of M. leprae DNA were found within the pulp cavities of four maxillary teeth from the male child (Sk.8) with LO, consistent with the theory that replication of M. leprae in alveolar bone may interfere with root formation at key stages of development. We report our biomolecular findings in these individuals and review the evidence this site has contributed to our knowledge of mediaeval leprosy.<br/

Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host

Leprosy, one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history, remains prevalent in Asia, Africa, and South America, with over 200,000 cases every year.1,2 Although ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches on the major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, have elucidated the disease’s evolutionary history,3,4,5 the role of animal hosts and interspecies transmission in the past remains unexplored. Research has uncovered relationships between medieval strains isolated from archaeological human remains and modern animal hosts such as the red squirrel in England.6,7 However, the time frame, distribution, and direction of transmissions remains unknown. Here, we studied 25 human and 12 squirrel samples from two archaeological sites in Winchester, a medieval English city well known for its leprosarium and connections to the fur trade. We reconstructed four medieval M. leprae genomes, including one from a red squirrel, at a 2.2-fold average coverage. Our analysis revealed a phylogenetic placement of all strains on branch 3 as well as a close relationship between the squirrel strain and one newly reconstructed medieval human strain. In particular, the medieval squirrel strain is more closely related to some medieval human strains from Winchester than to modern red squirrel strains from England, indicating a yet-undetected circulation of M. leprae in non-human hosts in the Middle Ages. Our study represents the first One Health approach for M. leprae in archaeology, which is centered around a medieval animal host strain, and highlights the future capability of such approaches to understand the disease’s zoonotic past and current potential.</p