Finding pathogens from long past epidemics -Aztecs

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The discussion centers on the research conducted by A. Vasgene et al. regarding Salmonella enterica genomes found in victims of a significant sixteenth-century epidemic in Mexico. By analyzing DNA from dental calculus, researchers identified specific pathogens linked to the 1545 and 1576 outbreaks, which collectively resulted in the deaths of 7 million to 17 million people and played a crucial role in the decline of the Aztec Empire. The introduction of a new DNA fragment matching algorithm significantly enhanced the identification of bacterial DNA, allowing for precise attribution to known species.

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This discussion is beneficial for researchers in paleogenomics, epidemiologists studying historical epidemics, bioinformaticians focusing on pathogen identification, and historians examining the impact of diseases on civilizations.

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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.