A major 16th-Century Epidemic in Mexico Explained by Salmonella enterica genomes from victims
In Nature Ecology & Evolution (15 January 2018 issue) scientist identified Salmonella enterica as the potential cause of the epidemic known as ‘cocoliztli’ based on historical and archaeological evidence, to the 1545–1550 CE epidemic. Through the introduction of a new metagenomic analysis tool called MALT, applied in the study to search for traces of ancient pathogen DNA, they were able to identify Salmonella enterica in individuals buried in an early contact era epidemic cemetery. The scientists propose that S. Paratyphi C is a strong candidate for the epidemic population decline @ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0446-6
Salmonella enterica genomes from victims of a major sixteenth-century epidemic in Mexico
Ancient DNA from victims of a sixteenth-century disease in Mexico suggests that Salmonella enterica Paratyphi C (enteric fever) was responsible for a devastating epidemic that closely followed European presence in the region.
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