Ancient genomes reveal a high diversity of Mycobacterium leprae in medieval Europe

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006997
• Publication Date: 2018-05-10T17:27:57Z
• Authors: Verena J. Schuene...; Charlotte Avanzi; Ben Krause-Kyora; Alexander Seitz; Alexander Herbig; Sarah Inskip; Marion Bonazzi; Ella Reiter; Christian Urban; Dorthe Dangvard P...; G. Michael Taylor; Pushpendra Singh; Graham R. Stewart; Petr Velemínský; Jakub Likovsky; Antónia Marcsik; Erika Molnár; György Pálfi; Valentina Mariotti; Alessandro Riga; M. Giovanna Belca...; Jesper L. Boldsen; Almut Nebel; Simon Mays; Helen D. Donoghue; Sonia Zakrzewski; Andrej Benjak; Kay Nieselt; Stewart T. Cole; Johannes Krause
• Keywords: Mycobacterium leprae; Ancient DNA

Studying ancient DNA allows us to retrace the evolutionary history of human pathogens, such as Mycobacterium leprae, main causative agent leprosy. Leprosy is one oldest recorded and most stigmatizing diseases in history. The disease was prevalent Europe until 16th century still endemic many countries with over 200,000 new cases reported annually. Previous worldwide studies on modern European medieval M. leprae genomes revealed that they cluster into several distinct branches which two were present Northwestern Europe. In this study, we analyzed 10 including so far genome from earliest known leprosy United Kingdom—a skeleton Great Chesterford cemetery a calibrated age 415–545 C.E. This dataset provides genetic time transect diversity past 1500 years. We find strains four be Early Medieval Period, three different detected within single High Period. Altogether these findings suggest higher at various points than previously assumed. resulting more complex picture phylogeography impacts current phylogeographical models dissemination. It suggests alternative for spread wide prevalence Eurasia already Antiquity or maybe even an origin Western Eurasia. Furthermore, results highlight how studying improves understanding worldwide.