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Oldest known evidence of plague found in prehistoric cemeteries
CNN • • general
Key Points:
- Ancient DNA from cemeteries in southeast Siberia reveals previously unknown plague strains dating back 5,500 years, possibly the oldest evidence of plague in humans.
- The study found plague bacteria in 18 of 46 individuals, mostly children, from hunter-gatherer communities near Lake Baikal, challenging the idea that infectious diseases could not devastate mobile prehistoric groups.
- Genetic analysis showed a unique superantigen in the plague strain that likely increased infection severity, particularly affecting children aged 7½ to 11 years.
- The plague likely originated from marmots, which were hunted and butchered by these communities, supporting the hypothesis that plague began in this region before spreading across Eurasia.
- Researchers emphasize the importance of tracing plague’s ancient spread to better understand pathogen evolution, noting that plague still causes cases today.
