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Askari Z, Ruehli F, Bouwman A, Shariati V, Naddaf SR, Otranto D, Mas-Coma S, Rezaeian M, Boenke N, Stöllner T, Aali A, Mobedi I, Mowlavi G. Genomic palaeoparasitology traced the occurrence of Taenia asiatica in ancient Iran (Sassanid Empire, 2th cent. CE-6th cent. CE). Sci Rep 2022; 12:12045. [PMID: 35835776 PMCID: PMC9283436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10690-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeoparasitology investigates parasitological infections in animals and humans of past distance by examining biological remains. Palaeofaeces (or coprolites) are biological remains that provide valuable information on the disease, diet, and population movements in ancient times. Today, advances in detecting ancient DNA have cast light on dark corners that microscopy could never reach. The archaeological site of the Chehrabad salt mine of Achaemenid (550–330 BC) and Sassanid (third–seventh century AD) provides remains of various biotic and abiotic samples, including animal coprolites, for multidisciplinary studies. In the present work, we investigated coprolites for helminth eggs and larvae by microscopy and traced their biological agents’ DNA by Next Generation Sequencing. Our results revealed various helminths, including Taenia asiatica, the species introduced in the 1990s. Implementing advanced modern molecular techniques like NGS gives a paramount view of pathogenic agents in space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynab Askari
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Frank Ruehli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, Zurich University, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Abigail Bouwman
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, Zurich University, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Vahid Shariati
- NIGEB Genome Center, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy.,Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Santiago Mas-Coma
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mostafa Rezaeian
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nicole Boenke
- Institute for Archaeological Science, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,German Mining-Museum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Stöllner
- Institute for Archaeological Science, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,German Mining-Museum, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Iraj Mobedi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Mowlavi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Pedersen MW, Antunes C, De Cahsan B, Moreno-Mayar JV, Sikora M, Vinner L, Mann D, Klimov PB, Black S, Michieli CT, Braig HR, Perotti MA. Ancient human genomes and environmental DNA from the cement attaching 2,000 year-old head lice nits. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6481551. [PMID: 34963129 PMCID: PMC8829908 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, there has been a growing demand for genome analysis of ancient human remains. Destructive sampling is increasingly difficult to obtain for ethical reasons, and standard methods of breaking the skull to access the petrous bone or sampling remaining teeth are often forbidden for curatorial reasons. However, most ancient humans carried head lice and their eggs abound in historical hair specimens. Here we show that host DNA is protected by the cement that glues head lice nits to the hair of ancient Argentinian mummies, 1,500–2,000 years old. The genetic affinities deciphered from genome-wide analyses of this DNA inform that this population migrated from north-west Amazonia to the Andes of central-west Argentina; a result confirmed using the mitochondria of the host lice. The cement preserves ancient environmental DNA of the skin, including the earliest recorded case of Merkel cell polyomavirus. We found that the percentage of human DNA obtained from nit cement equals human DNA obtained from the tooth, yield 2-fold compared with a petrous bone, and 4-fold to a bloodmeal of adult lice a millennium younger. In metric studies of sheaths, the length of the cement negatively correlates with the age of the specimens, whereas hair linear distance between nit and scalp informs about the environmental conditions at the time before death. Ectoparasitic lice sheaths can offer an alternative, nondestructive source of high-quality ancient DNA from a variety of host taxa where bones and teeth are not available and reveal complementary details of their history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel W Pedersen
- GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Catia Antunes
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Section, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Binia De Cahsan
- GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J Víctor Moreno-Mayar
- GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Sikora
- GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lasse Vinner
- GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Darren Mann
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pavel B Klimov
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Stuart Black
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Wager Building, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina Teresa Michieli
- Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo "Prof. Mariano Gambier", Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Henk R Braig
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom.,Institute and Museum of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, National University of San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
| | - M Alejandra Perotti
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Section, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
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3
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Cascardo P, Pucu E, Leles D. REVIEW OF PARASITES FOUND IN EXTINCT ANIMALS: WHAT CAN BE REVEALED. J Parasitol 2021; 107:275-283. [PMID: 33844838 DOI: 10.1645/20-30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitism is inherent to life and observed in all species. Extinct animals have been studied to understand what they looked like, where and how they lived, what they fed on, and the reasons they became extinct. Paleoparasitology helps to clarify these questions based on the study of the parasites and microorganisms that infected those animals, using as a source material coprolites, fossils in rock, tissue, bone, mummy, and amber, analyses of ancient DNA, immunodiagnosis, and microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Cascardo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitos, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 21041-210, Brazil
| | - Elisa Pucu
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitos, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 21041-210, Brazil
| | - Daniela Leles
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitos, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, 21041-210, Brazil
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4
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Skoracki M, Sikora B, Jerzak L, Hromada M. Tanopicobia gen. nov., a new genus of quill mites, its phylogenetic placement in the subfamily Picobiinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) and picobiine relationships with avian hosts. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225982. [PMID: 31940314 PMCID: PMC6961858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A new monotypic genus Tanopicobia gen. nov. is established for a new species Tanopicobia trachyphoni sp. nov., parasitizing Trachyphonus erythrocephalus Cabanis, 1878 (Piciformes: Lybiidae) from Tanzania. In phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data and constructed using the maximum parsimony approach, this taxon falls within the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 in the Neopicobia-species-group as closely related to the genus Pipicobia Glowska and Schmidt, 2014. Tanopicobia differs from Pipicobia by the following features in females: genital setae absent; setae ve are situated far and posteromedial to the level of setal bases vi; setae 3a are thick and knobbed. Additionally, a new generic key for subfamily Picobiinae is constructed and general host-parasite ecological and phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Picobiines are present in several lineages of neoavian birds, from basal Galloanseres to terminal Telluraves, which are infested by 70 (89.7% of all) species of these ectoparasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Skoracki
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
- Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | - Bozena Sikora
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Leszek Jerzak
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Martin Hromada
- Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
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Intestinal parasites at the Late Bronze Age settlement of Must Farm, in the fens of East Anglia, UK (9th century B.C.E.). Parasitology 2019; 146:1583-1594. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019001021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLittle is known about the types of intestinal parasites that infected people living in prehistoric Britain. The Late Bronze Age archaeological site of Must Farm was a pile-dwelling settlement located in a wetland, consisting of stilted timber structures constructed over a slow-moving freshwater channel. At excavation, sediment samples were collected from occupation deposits around the timber structures. Fifteen coprolites were also hand-recovered from the occupation deposits; four were identified as human and seven as canine, using fecal lipid biomarkers. Digital light microscopy was used to identify preserved helminth eggs in the sediment and coprolites. Eggs of fish tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium latum and Diphyllobothrium dendriticum), Echinostoma sp., giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale), probable pig whipworm (Trichuris suis) and Capillaria sp. were found. This is the earliest evidence for fish tapeworm, Echinostoma worm, Capillaria worm and the giant kidney worm so far identified in Britain. It appears that the wetland environment of the settlement contributed to establishing parasite diversity and put the inhabitants at risk of infection by helminth species spread by eating raw fish, frogs or molluscs that flourish in freshwater aquatic environments, conversely the wetland may also have protected them from infection by certain geohelminths.
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6
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Reinhard K. Reestablishing rigor in archaeological parasitology. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2017; 19:124-134. [PMID: 29198394 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Archaeological parasitology originated in the mid-twentieth century with interdisciplinary teams of specialists directed by archaeologists. The goals of such studies were detailed analyses of dietary, medicinal, and environmental factors that shaped the patterns of infection. By the 1970s, a cadre of unique coprolite analysts was trained to analyze macroscopic and microscopic remains for integrated reconstructions of the cultural determinants of parasitism. During these first phases of research, diagnostic rigor was maintained by direct training of specialists in parasitology and archaeology sub-disciplines including archaeobotany and archaeopalynology. Near the end of the twentieth century, however, "paleoparasitology" was defined as a separate field focusing on defining parasite distribution through time and space. Ironically, this focus resulted in an increase in misdiagnosis, especially prominent after 2000. Paleoparasitology does not explicitly include other specialized studies in it research design. Thus, dietary, environmental and medicinal inferences have been neglected or lost as samples were destroyed solely for the purpose of parasitological analysis. Without ancillary archaeological studies, paleoparasitology runs the risk of separation from archaeological context, thereby reducing its value to the archaeologists who recover samples for analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Reinhard
- School of Natural Resources, Hardin Hall 719, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0987, United States.
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7
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Paknezhad N, Mazdarani FH, Hessari M, Mobedi I, Najafi F, Bizhani N, Makki M, Hassanpour G, Mowlavi G. Retrieving ascarid and taeniid eggs from the biological remains of a Neolithic dog from the late 9th millennium BC in Western Iran. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2017; 112:593-595. [PMID: 28902284 PMCID: PMC5572444 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760160420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Paleoparasitology reveals the status of parasitic infections in humans and animals in ancient times based on parasitic particles found in biological remains from archaeological excavations. This line of research emerged in Iran in 2013. OBJECTIVE The identification of parasites from Neolithic times is an attractive subject that shows the oldest origins of parasitic infections in a given geographical region. From an archaeological point of view, this archaeological site is well-known for animal domestication and agriculture in ancient Iran. METHODS In this study, soil deposited on the surface and in the pores of a dog pelvic bone was carefully collected and rehydrated using trisodium phosphate solution. FINDINGS The results showed ascarid and taeniid eggs retrieved from the biological remains of a dog excavated at the East Chia Sabz archaeological site, which dates back to the Neolithic period (8100 BC). MAIN CONCLUSION The current findings clearly illustrate the natural circulation of nematode and cestode parasites among dogs at that time. These ancient helminth eggs can also be used to track the oldest parasitic infections in the Iranian plateau and contribute to the paleoparasitological documentation of the Fertile Crescent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloofar Paknezhad
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farbod Haji Mazdarani
- Islamic Azad University, Pre-historic Archaeology, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Hessari
- University of Art, Faculty of Preservation and Restoration, Department of Archaeology, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Iraj Mobedi
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faezeh Najafi
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Bizhani
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsasadat Makki
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Hassanpour
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Mowlavi
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
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8
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Abstract
Lice are a classic example of cospeciation. Human lice confirm this cospeciation with lice specialized in hominids which differ from those of gorillas and chimpanzees. Head lice and body lice seem to belong to closely related species with different ecotypes and a different geographical distribution which may reflect population movements. Paleo-entomology allows us in some cases to trace the migrations of archaic human populations. The analysis of lice found on mummies in Egypt and South America has clarified a certain number of these migrations, also the study of lice and the diseases they transmit has shed a new light on the epidemics of the past.
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Long-read sequencing improves assembly of Trichinella genomes 10-fold, revealing substantial synteny between lineages diverged over 7 million years. Parasitology 2017; 144:1302-1315. [PMID: 28583210 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Genome assemblies can form the basis of comparative analyses fostering insight into the evolutionary genetics of a parasite's pathogenicity, host-pathogen interactions, environmental constraints and invasion biology; however, the length and complexity of many parasite genomes has hampered the development of well-resolved assemblies. In order to improve Trichinella genome assemblies, the genome of the sylvatic encapsulated species Trichinella murrelli was sequenced using third-generation, long-read technology and, using syntenic comparisons, scaffolded to a reference genome assembly of Trichinella spiralis, markedly improving both. A high-quality draft assembly for T. murrelli was achieved that totalled 63·2 Mbp, half of which was condensed into 26 contigs each longer than 571 000 bp. When compared with previous assemblies for parasites in the genus, ours required 10-fold fewer contigs, which were five times longer, on average. Better assembly across repetitive regions also enabled resolution of 8 Mbp of previously indeterminate sequence. Furthermore, syntenic comparisons identified widespread scaffold misassemblies in the T. spiralis reference genome. The two new assemblies, organized for the first time into three chromosomal scaffolds, will be valuable resources for future studies linking phenotypic traits within each species to their underlying genetic bases.
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Novo SPC, Ferreira LF. The Paleoparasitology in Brazil and Findings in Human Remains from South America: A Review. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2016; 54:573-583. [PMID: 27853114 PMCID: PMC5127545 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.5.573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The review article presents some of the history of how paleoparasitology started in Brazil, making highlight the great responsible Dr. Luiz Fernando Ferreira and Dr. Adauto Araújo, the trajectory of paleoparasitology in Brazil since 1978 and its performance in science to the present day. In sequence, it is made a presentation of parasitological findings on human remains found in archaeological sites in South America, highlighting Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru, where major discoveries have occurred. Many of the parasites found in archaeological material and mentioned in this review went out of Africa with the peopling of Europe and from there they dispersed around the world, where climatic conditions allow the transmission. However, humans have acquired other parasites of animals, since humans invaded new habitats or creating new habits adopting new technologies, thus expanding its range of influence on the environment. Thus, this review article is finalized with information that explain the importance of these findings in the interaction between parasites, human host, and ambient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shênia Patrícia Corrêa Novo
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, ENSP, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, DCB, Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia Eduardo Marques, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Luiz Fernando Ferreira
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, ENSP, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, DCB, Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia Eduardo Marques, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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11
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Jesudoss Chelladurai J, Murphy K, Snobl T, Bader C, West C, Thompson K, Brewer MT. Molecular Epidemiology of Ascaris Infection Among Pigs in Iowa. J Infect Dis 2016; 215:131-138. [PMID: 28077590 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascaris is a large roundworm parasite that infects humans and pigs throughout the world. Molecular markers have been used to study parasite transmission in Ascaris-endemic and -nonendemic regions of the world. In the United States, ascariasis still persists in commercial swine and has been designated a neglected disease of poverty in humans. However, relatively few data are available for evaluation of zoonotic transmission. In the present study, we obtained adult worms from abattoirs and characterized each worm on the basis of the gene encoding nuclear internal transcribed sequence (ITS) and mitochondrial cox1 Restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis of ITS revealed swine, human, and hybrid genotypes. cox1 sequences were compared to all complete sequences available in GenBank, and haplotype analysis demonstrated 92 haplotypes worldwide. Sequences from the parasites in this study represented 10 haplotypes, including 6 new haplotypes that have not been previously described. Our results indicate that anthropozoonotic transmission has occurred in the past, resulting in the presence of human genotypes in pigs and supporting further investigation of zoonotic Ascaris transmission in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaitlyn Murphy
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
| | - Tymbrie Snobl
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
| | - Christopher Bader
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
| | - Cody West
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
| | - Kylie Thompson
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
| | - Matthew T Brewer
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide some key points for researchers interested in the study of ancient gastrointestinal parasites. These few pages are dedicated to my colleague and friend, Prof. Adauto Araújo (1951-2015), who participated in the writing of this chapter. His huge efforts in paleoparasitology contributed to the development and promotion of the discipline during more than 30 years.
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13
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Abstract
The paleomicrobiology of coprolites, which are fossilized fecal materials, has already yielded data about various organisms, including micro-eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea, thus expanding our comprehension of ancient human dietary habits, gut microbiota, and intestinal and systemic infections. This mini-review briefly describes previous works and summarizes the main techniques used in handling coprolites and the findings obtained about ancient gut microbiota. Past intestinal and systemic infections are outlined.
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14
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Zarazúa-Carbajal M, Saldaña-Vázquez RA, Sandoval-Ruiz CA, Stoner KE, Benitez-Malvido J. The specificity of host-bat fly interaction networks across vegetation and seasonal variation. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4037-44. [PMID: 27329173 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Vegetation type and seasonality promote changes in the species composition and abundance of parasite hosts. However, it is poorly known how these variables affect host-parasite interaction networks. This information is important to understand the dynamics of parasite-host relationships according to biotic and abiotic changes. We compared the specialization of host-bat fly interaction networks, as well as bat fly and host species composition between upland dry forest and riparian forest and between dry and rainy seasons in a tropical dry forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Bat flies were surveyed by direct collection from bats. Our results showed that host-bat fly interaction networks were more specialized in upland dry forest compared to riparian forest. Bat fly species composition was different between the dry and rainy seasons, while host species composition was different between upland dry forest and riparian forest. The higher specialization in upland dry forest could be related to the differences in bat host species composition and their respective roosting habits. Variation in the composition of bat fly species between dry and rainy seasons coincides with the seasonal shifts in their species richness. Our study confirms the high specialization of host-bat fly interactions and shows the importance of biotic and abiotic factors to understand the dynamics of parasite-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Zarazúa-Carbajal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701 Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Romeo A Saldaña-Vázquez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701 Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán, Mexico.
| | - César A Sandoval-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Artropodología y Salud, Escuela de Biología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio Edificio 112-A, Ciudad Universitaria Col. Jardines de San Manuel, C.P. 72570, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Kathryn E Stoner
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, MSC 4901, P.O. Box 30003, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA
| | - Julieta Benitez-Malvido
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701 Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán, Mexico
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15
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Darling MI, Donoghue HD. Insights from paleomicrobiology into the indigenous peoples of pre-colonial America - a review. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2016; 109:131-9. [PMID: 24714964 PMCID: PMC4015261 DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276140589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This review investigates ancient infectious diseases in the Americas dated to the
pre-colonial period and considers what these findings can tell us about the history
of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It gives an overview, but focuses on four
microbial pathogens from this period: Helicobacter pylori,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Trypanosoma cruzi
and Coccidioides immitis, which cause stomach ulceration and gastric
cancer, tuberculosis, Chagas disease and valley fever, respectively. These pathogens
were selected as H. pylori can give insight into ancient human
migrations into the Americas, M. tuberculosis is associated with
population density and urban development, T. cruzi can elucidate
human living conditions and C. immitis can indicate agricultural
development. A range of methods are used to diagnose infectious disease in ancient
human remains, with DNA analysis by polymerase chain reaction one of the most
reliable, provided strict precautions are taken against cross contamination. The
review concludes with a brief summary of the changes that took place after European
exploration and colonisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millie I Darling
- Division of Biosciences, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Helen D Donoghue
- Division of Biosciences, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London, London, UK
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Mitchell PD. Human Parasites in Medieval Europe: Lifestyle, Sanitation and Medical Treatment. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:389-420. [PMID: 26597073 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasites have been infecting humans throughout our evolution. However, not all people suffered with the same species or to the same intensity throughout this time. Our changing way of life has altered the suitability of humans to infection by each type of parasite. This analysis focuses upon the evidence for parasites from archaeological excavations at medieval sites across Europe. Comparison between the patterns of infection in the medieval period allows us to see how changes in sanitation, herding animals, growing and fertilizing crops, the fishing industry, food preparation and migration all affected human susceptibility to different parasites. We go on to explore how ectoparasites may have spread infectious bacterial diseases, and also consider what medieval medical practitioners thought of parasites and how they tried to treat them. While modern research has shown the use of a toilet decreases the risk of contracting certain intestinal parasites, the evidence for past societies presented here suggests that the invention of latrines had no observable beneficial effects upon intestinal health. This may be because toilets were not sufficiently ubiquitous until the last century, or that the use of fresh human faeces for manuring crops still ensured those parasite species were easily able to reinfect the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piers D Mitchell
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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Abstract
Parasite finds in ancient material launched a new field of science: palaeoparasitology. Ever since the pioneering studies, parasites were identified in archaeological and palaeontological remains, some preserved for millions of years by fossilization. However, the palaeoparasitological record consists mainly of parasites found specifically in human archaeological material, preserved in ancient occupation sites, from prehistory until closer to 2015. The results include some helminth intestinal parasites still commonly found in 2015, such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms, besides others such as Amoebidae and Giardia intestinalis, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi and arthropods. These parasites as a whole provide important data on health, diet, climate and living conditions among ancient populations. This chapter describes the principal findings and their importance for knowledge on the origin and dispersal of infectious diseases.
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De Baets K, Littlewood DTJ. The Importance of Fossils in Understanding the Evolution of Parasites and Their Vectors. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:1-51. [PMID: 26597064 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge concerning the diversity of parasitism and its reach across our current understanding of the tree of life has benefitted considerably from novel molecular phylogenetic methods. However, the timing of events and the resolution of the nature of the intimate relationships between parasites and their hosts in deep time remain problematic. Despite its vagaries, the fossil record provides the only direct evidence of parasites and parasitism in the fossil record of extant and extinct lineages. Here, we demonstrate the potential of the fossil record and other lines of geological evidence to calibrate the origin and evolution of parasitism by combining different kinds of dating evidence with novel molecular clock methodologies. Other novel methods promise to provide additional evidence for the presence or the life habit of pathogens and their vectors, including the discovery and analysis of ancient DNA and other biomolecules, as well as computed tomographic methods.
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Myšková E, Ditrich O, Sak B, Kváč M, Cymbalak T. Detection of Ancient DNA ofEncephalitozoon intestinalis(Microsporidia) in Archaeological Material. J Parasitol 2014; 100:356-9. [DOI: 10.1645/13-232.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Faulkner CT, Reinhard KJ. A retrospective examination of paleoparasitology and its establishment in the Journal of Parasitology. J Parasitol 2014; 100:253-9. [PMID: 24588553 DOI: 10.1645/13-485.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Volume 95 (2009) of the Journal of Parasitology represented a significant benchmark in the history of paleoparasitology when it received on the cover formal recognition as a topical area for publication. This retrospective examination chronicles the emergence of paleoparasitology, from its origins as an adjunct contribution to the study of prehistoric human populations to its modern expression as a sub-disciplinary interest. The aim of paleoparasitology is to elucidate the temporal and spatial dimensions of parasitism from the fossil record of human and non-human host populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles T Faulkner
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee 37752
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Appelt S, Armougom F, Le Bailly M, Robert C, Drancourt M. Polyphasic analysis of a middle ages coprolite microbiota, Belgium. PLoS One 2014; 9:e88376. [PMID: 24586319 PMCID: PMC3938422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Paleomicrobiological investigations of a 14(th)-century coprolite found inside a barrel in Namur, Belgium were done using microscopy, a culture-dependent approach and metagenomics. Results were confirmed by ad hoc PCR--sequencing. Investigations yielded evidence for flora from ancient environment preserved inside the coprolite, indicated by microscopic observation of amoebal cysts, plant fibers, seeds, pollens and mold remains. Seventeen different bacterial species were cultured from the coprolite, mixing organisms known to originate from the environment and organisms known to be gut inhabitants. Metagenomic analyses yielded 107,470 reads, of which known sequences (31.9%) comprised 98.98% bacterial, 0.52% eukaryotic, 0.44% archaeal and 0.06% viral assigned reads. Most abundant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The 16 S rRNA gene dataset yielded 132,000 trimmed reads and 673 Operational Taxonomic Units. Most abundant bacterial phyla observed in the 16 S rRNA gene dataset belonged to Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Chlamydia. The Namur coprolite yielded typical gut microbiota inhabitants, intestinal parasites Trichuris and Ascaris and systemic pathogens Bartonella and Bordetella. This study adds knowledge to gut microbiota in medieval times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Appelt
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, Centre national de la recherche scientifique 7278, IRD 198, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1095, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Fabrice Armougom
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, Centre national de la recherche scientifique 7278, IRD 198, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1095, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Matthieu Le Bailly
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique UMR 6249 Chrono-Environnement, Franche-Comté Université, Besançon, France
| | - Catherine Robert
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, Centre national de la recherche scientifique 7278, IRD 198, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1095, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Michel Drancourt
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, Centre national de la recherche scientifique 7278, IRD 198, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1095, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
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McCONNELL SM, ZAVADA MS. The occurrence of an abdominal fauna in an articulated tapir (Tapirus polkensis) from the Late Miocene Gray Fossil Site, northeastern Tennessee. Integr Zool 2013; 8:74-83. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2012.00320.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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