Work

Tuberculosis in early medieval Switzerland – osteological and molecular evidence

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: Lesions consistent with skeletal tuberculosis were found in 13 individuals from an early medieval skeletal sample from Courroux (Switzerland). One case of Pott's disease as well as lytic lesions in vertebrae and joints, rib lesions and endocranial new bone formation were identified. Three individuals with lesions and one without were tested for the presence of Myobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) ancient DNA (aDNA), and in two cases, evidence for MTBC aDNA was detected. Our results suggest the presence of tuberculosis in the analysed material, which is in accordance with other osteological and biomolecular research that reported a high prevalence of tuberculosis in medieval skeletons.

Source: Swiss Medical Weekly

DOI: 10.4414/smw.2016.14269

Authors: Christine Cooper, Robert Fellner, Olivier Heubi, Frank Maixner, Albert Zink, Sandra Lösch

Institutions: University of Bern, Office de la Culture Section d'archéologie et Paléontologie, Eurac Research

Language: English

Topic: Paleopathology and ancient diseases

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W2281951695

FWCI: 1.875

Cites: 49

Cited by: 7

Related to: 10