microrobert
06-14-2013, 04:07 PM
Medieval skeletons give clues to leprosy origins
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68133000/jpg/_68133818_schuenemann2hr.jpg
As part of their study, scientists extracted DNA from skeletons that were 1,000 years old
The genetic code of leprosy-causing bacteria from 1,000-year-old skeletons has been laid bare.
Similarities between these old strains of the bug and those prevalent today have given scientists unique insights into the spread of the disease.
It has revealed, for example, the key role played by the medieval Crusades in moving the pathogen across the globe.
The researchers tell Science magazine (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2013/06/12/science.1238286.abstract) they hope their study will lead them to the ancient origins of the leprosy.
In medieval times, a sufferer of leprosy was likely to be an outcast, secluded from society in quarantined colonies. Then as now, there was a social stigma with having the disease, but it can be cured if caught early. If left untreated, it can leave sufferers deformed and crippled.
BBC News - Medieval skeletons give clues to leprosy origins (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22857578)
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68133000/jpg/_68133818_schuenemann2hr.jpg
As part of their study, scientists extracted DNA from skeletons that were 1,000 years old
The genetic code of leprosy-causing bacteria from 1,000-year-old skeletons has been laid bare.
Similarities between these old strains of the bug and those prevalent today have given scientists unique insights into the spread of the disease.
It has revealed, for example, the key role played by the medieval Crusades in moving the pathogen across the globe.
The researchers tell Science magazine (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2013/06/12/science.1238286.abstract) they hope their study will lead them to the ancient origins of the leprosy.
In medieval times, a sufferer of leprosy was likely to be an outcast, secluded from society in quarantined colonies. Then as now, there was a social stigma with having the disease, but it can be cured if caught early. If left untreated, it can leave sufferers deformed and crippled.
BBC News - Medieval skeletons give clues to leprosy origins (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22857578)