Medieval England's Leprosy Outbreak Likely Originated from Red Squirrels
Living in Winchester's Past: Leprosy and Red Squirrels
Take a step back in time to medieval Winchester, England, where modern scientists are shedding new light on an ancient mystery - did our furry forest friends contribute to the spread of leprosy among the town's residents?
Leprosy, better known as Hansen's disease, is a contagious illness affecting the nerves and causing potentially devastating effects like paralysis and blindness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the main culprit behind this illness is the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria, which uses a variety of hosts, such as humans, nine-banded armadillos, and red squirrels.
Archaeologists and geneticists have delved into Winchester's past by studying 25 human samples and 12 squirrel samples from two sites within the city. Their findings, published in Current Biology, uncovered evidence suggesting that medieval red squirrels may have been the first animal hosts of leprosy.
Winchester was the capital of Wessex during King Alfred the Great's reign, starting in 871. The researchers focused on the city's St Mary Magdalen's leprosarium, a hospital for leprosy patients, where they found a close relationship between the strains in the squirrels and the humans.
Verena Schuenemann, an archaeologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland and the study's senior author, highlighted the team's results in a Cell release: "With our genetic analysis, we were able to identify red squirrels as the first ancient animal host of leprosy." The researchers found that the bacterial strain in medieval squirrels was more closely related to some of the strains in the medieval residents of Winchester, suggesting that cross-species infection could have taken place.
In medieval England, squirrels were often kept as pets and their fur was widely used in garments throughout Europe, many of which ended up in England via trade. Despite repeated imports of tens of thousands of animal skins for other purposes, over 377,000 squirrel skins were imported. Whether the English customs accounts were trying to curb the spread of leprosy is open to debate.
Zoonotic diseases, like leprosy, can have significant impacts on human health. Though strictlyproof of transmission between the two species remains elusive, the team's findings, coupled with recent discoveries of leprosy in modern animals, could trigger a medical debate as to the potential roles animals play in the persistence of such diseases today.
As we face ongoing threats such as the H5N1 strain of bird flu, understanding the transmission of diseases even in centuries-old instances like this can provide valuable insights into how to address current public health concerns.
For more information on our current understanding of bird flu, read "How Worried Should We Be About Bird Flu Right Now?"
Disclaimer: While this article provides an overview of the study's findings, it is important to note that conclusive evidence on the exact transmission of leprosy between red squirrels and humans during medieval times remains to be established. Further research is necessary to confirm the role of red squirrels in the spread of leprosy in Winchester and other historical contexts.
The study published in Current Biology has uncovered evidence that medieval red squirrels might have been the first animal hosts of leprosy, building on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's findings that several hosts, including red squirrels, can carry the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. The researchers' findings suggest a close relationship between the strains in the squirrels and the medieval residents of Winchester, implying a possible cross-species infection. Despite limited conclusive evidence, the study's results coupled with recent discoveries of leprosy in modern animals could spark a debate among medical professionals about animals' potential roles in the persistence of zoonotic diseases like leprosy in the present day.
