Finding pathogens from long past epidemics -Aztecs

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Research has identified Salmonella enterica genomes in skeletal remains from a major sixteenth-century epidemic in Mexico, suggesting that this pathogen may have contributed to the collapse of the Aztec Empire. By analyzing DNA from dental calculus, scientists were able to infer dietary habits and identify specific pathogens consumed by the victims. A new DNA fragment matching algorithm enabled the precise identification of bacterial DNA, which was previously challenging. The two significant outbreaks in 1545 and 1576 resulted in the deaths of an estimated 7 to 17 million people, marking one of history's most devastating epidemics. This study enhances our understanding of the factors that led to the decline of the Aztec civilization.
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0446-6
A.Vasgene et al., Salmonella enterica genomes from victims of a major sixteenth-century epidemic in Mexico

Popular Science:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...ave-caused-massive-aztec-epidemic-study-finds

Examining DNA from the calculus (plaque) on human teeth from skeletal remains allows us to infer what the people ate, and indirectly what pathogens they have consumed. There is a newer DNA fragment matching algorithm that allowed the researchers to pinpoint a specific, known deadly pathogen in the remains of 10 epidemic victims. Previously the bacterial DNA fragments were virtually impossible to identify - meaning assign to a known species.

This allows informed speculation - one of the causes of the destruction of the Aztec Empire was a massive epidemic with two occurrences:

It was one of the most devastating epidemics in human history. The 1545 outbreak, and a second wave in 1576, killed an estimated 7 million to 17 million people and contributed to the destruction of the Aztec Empire.
 
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Interesting; perhaps the "butler's" innocent after all.
 

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