Living in close proximity without access to antibiotics may seem like a nightmare, but it was a reality for much of our history. A recent international study conducted by the Center for Paleogenetics in Stockholm delves into the world of microbes during the Stone Age in Scandinavia.
The study identifies two different types of microbes, some of which are expected in a healthy person, while others likely caused pain and problems. Neisseria meningitidis spreads through close contact, such as kissing, while Yersinia enterocolitica is often contracted from contaminated food and water. Salmonella enterica, a common cause of food poisoning today, was also found.
“The case of Salmonella enterica is particularly intriguing. In a Battle Axe culture burial site in Bergsgraven, Linköping, we discovered two infected individuals, and it’s possible that this was the cause of their death,” explains Nora Bergfeldt from the Department of Zoology at Stockholm University, who is researching bacterial diseases in prehistoric societies.
“These bacterial diseases, easily treatable with antibiotics today, could be lethal back then.”
2024-03-15 08:00:04
Article from phys.org