All Microbes and Culture articles
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NewsMedieval DNA reveals trans-Saharan connections, rapid genetic mixing, and leprosy in Islamic Ibiza
An international research team has revealed that the population of medieval Ibiza was remarkably diverse. One individual was found to be infected with Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium responsible for leprosy, marking the first genetically confirmed case from medieval Islamic Iberia.
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NewsNeanderthals may have used birch tar for its anti-bacterial properties
Scientists extracted tar from modern birch tree bark, specifically targeting species known from Neanderthal sites. When exposed to different strains of bacteria, all tar samples were found to be effective at hindering the growth of Staphylococcus bacteria known to cause wound infections.
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NewsRich medieval Danes bought graves ‘closer to God’ despite leprosy stigma, archaeologists find
Researchers used gravesites to investigate social exclusion based on illness, by studying whether people with leprosy or tuberculosis were kept out of the higher-status areas. Unexpectedly, they found that people who were ill with stigmatized diseases were buried just as prominently as their peers.