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

Current Biology ^ | May 03, 2024 | Christian Urban et al

[SunkenCiv]

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.

[SunkenCiv]

Full author list: Christian Urban, Alette A. Blom, Charlotte Avanzi, Simon Roffey, Sarah A. Inskip, Verena J. Schuenemann.

[SunkenCiv]

• Red squirrels carrying medieval strain of human leprosy as people warned to stay away [11/11/2016]
• Disease-riddled skeletons suggest leprosy and smallpox ravaged medieval German village [12/27/2022]

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• Pro-Open-Borders Spin: Ancient disease has potential to regenerate livers, study finds (Leprosy infection benefits livers) [11/15/2022]
• Lying Leftist Liars: Atlantic's Goldberg: Fox News Triggers 'Bible-Readers' With Talk of Immigrant Leprosy [10/30/2018]

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• Leprosy drug may be effective in Huntington's disease, study suggests (Orphan drug clofazimine appears to help mitochondria) [05/04/2024]
• CDC warns of emerging strain of leprosy — from armadillos [04/13/2024]
• Leprosy Is Spreading in Florida [03/22/2024]
• Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles... And Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration [12/28/2023]
• Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles … and Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration [12/27/2023]
• Growing Number of Leprosy Cases Reported After COVID-19 Vaccination [08/09/2023]
• Cases of leprosy on the rise in Florida, report says [08/02/2023]
• Leprosy could be endemic in Central Florida, CDC says. Here's what to know. [08/01/2023]
• Florida is experiencing an increase in LEPROSY cases with nearly 20% of cases across the country coming from the center of the state [07/31/2023]
• Leprosy must not be forgotten amid Covid-19 pandemic [05/28/2021]
• Promising At-Home Treatment for COVID-19 Discovered: FDA Approved Drug for Leprosy [03/16/2021]
• NYU Doctor: Leprosy Could Hit L.A.'s Homeless Population, 'Only a Matter of Time' [11/13/2019]
• Leprosy Persists in Los Angeles County, and Elsewhere [08/18/2019]
• Migrants Continue to Enrich Germany with TB, Leprosy, Rubella, Typhus and Whooping Cough [07/14/2017]
• Parents Demand Answers After Jurupa Valley Leprosy Scare [09/07/2016]
• Unconfirmed reports of leprosy at elementary school prompt parent notification [09/06/2016]
• Parents Remain On Edge Following Leprosy Scare At Jurupa Valley School [09/06/2016]
• Health of Americans being devastated by Illegal Aliens as smallpox, leprosy and TB reappear [06/01/2016]
• Obama Changes Law: Allows Immigrants with Blistering STDs and Leprosy into US [02/23/2016]
• Experts warn Floridians to steer clear of armadillos to avoid leprosy exposure [07/21/2015]
• Floridians urged to avoid leprosy-infected armadillos [07/21/2015]
• Report: Deadly suicide blast targets Nigeria leprosy clinic [06/29/2015]
• Nine-banded armadillos believed to have caused LEPROSY in Florida patients [02/28/2015]
• Leprosy diagnosed in Ohio prison inmate [10/17/2014]
• Ohio inmate has leprosy, officials say; case is first ever found in state prison system [10/16/2014]

[Bob434]

Today it’s the armadillo I. Believe that carries animal leprosy? Not sure but I think opposums might carry so ethi g too?

[READINABLUESTATE]

One more reason to hate red squirrels.

[SunkenCiv]

Like smallpox, it must have a non-human reservoir to keep coming back, so, probably a number of different critters are at least capable of it. Used to be the armadillo was the only known animal host, but armadillos weren't around in the Biblical Middle East, and I'm not sure squirrels have ever thrived there, so, probably some other rodent (gerbils, hamsters, rats, mice) or rodents (all of them?) keep it around.

[PUGACHEV]

Oddly, there are no squirrels in Australia. My son-in-law came to visit us from Sydney and was absolutely astonished to find one in our backyard. “Astonished” is even too mild to describe his excitement at first seeing one. It was as if he had encountered a UFO or Bigfoot.

[SunkenCiv]

[exDemMom]

So, how did American armadillos catch it from European squirrels?

This is an interesting topic to look into!

[SunkenCiv]

It's been around a long, long time? Ancient navigators?

If precolumbian remains weren't rare and (in the US) 'protected' from scientific examination, the antiquity of leprosy in the Americas might be able to be established. But McCain was and his supporters are against that.

• Editorial: McCain should drop NAGPRA amendment | Wednesday, July 20, 2005

[Delta 21]

FREEPER FOLDERS

Any Folders left? Mentioned in the article how folded proteins are helping id.......Thats what the Freeper Folders do every day!!

[SunkenCiv]

I think that project concluded when the participants’ computers finished off the data?

[Delta 21]

I think there are a few stragglers left. Those of us too lazy to change our active screen saver.

[texas booster]

Most FReepers stopped folding as they changed computers or changed interests.

Most of the remaining folders are using GPUs, and as a group are folding at a greater rate than before.

A few have joined other folding groups.

I stopped posting ~15+ years ago but do occasionally post something to keep our group alive.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Poor Florida. Being invaded by illegal squirrels.

What has Byedone been up to now!!!

[Delta 21]

Yeah, it’s just a dig on all the folders that aren’t folding right now but wanna be folding while they do other stuff. GPU cyphering goes wicked fast.