Recent research has revealed that Mycobacterium lepromatosis, a different species of leprosy-causing bacteria, had been present in the Americas for over a thousand years before European colonization. This challenges the longstanding belief that only Mycobacterium leprae was responsible for leprosy in the Americas, in part introduced by European settlers. A detailed analysis of over 800 ancient samples from Canada and Argentina confirmed the presence of genetically similar strains spread rapidly across the continent, impacting indigenous populations long before European contact. The findings illuminate a historical perspective on the disease and its societal stigma.
A new study has found a different species of leprosy-causing bacteria existed in the Americas before European settlement, indicating indigenous peoples were affected prior to colonization.
Researchers analyzed over 800 samples from ancient remains, revealing that lepromatosis bacteria were already circulating in the Americas for about a thousand years.
The study challenges the long-held belief that Europeans solely introduced leprosy to the Americas, highlighting the presence of indigenous strains before colonization.
Leprosy, caused by two bacteria species rather than one, has been affecting humans for thousands of years and carries a deep historical stigma.
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