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Mummies tell history of a 'modern' plague
Emory University ^ | May 16, 2011 | Carol Clark

Posted on 05/23/2011 9:09:42 AM PDT by decimon

Mummies from along the Nile are revealing how age-old irrigation techniques may have boosted the plague of schistosomiasis, a water-borne parasitic disease that infects an estimated 200 million people today.

An analysis of the mummies from Nubia, a former kingdom that was located in present-day Sudan, provides details for the first time about the prevalence of the disease across populations in ancient times, and how human alteration of the environment during that era may have contributed to its spread.

The American Journal of Physical Anthropology is publishing the study, led by Emory graduate student Amber Campbell Hibbs, who recently received her PhD in anthropology.

About 25 percent of mummies in the study dated to about 1,500 years ago were found to have Schistosoma mansoni, a species of schistosomiasis associated with more modern-day irrigation techniques.

“Often in the case of prehistoric populations, we tend to assume that they were at the mercy of the environment, and that their circumstances were a given,” says Campbell Hibbs. “Our study suggests that, just like people today, these ancient individuals were capable of altering the environment in ways that impacted their health.”

(Excerpt) Read more at esciencecommons.blogspot.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; History; Science
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs

1 posted on 05/23/2011 9:09:44 AM PDT by decimon
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To: SunkenCiv; neverdem

Too smarted by half ping.


2 posted on 05/23/2011 9:10:26 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon
Things I have learned today:

1) Prehistoric times were 1500 years ago.
2) Irrigation methods were used 1500 years ago. Who knew??
3) People in Egypt built things and altered their environment. Whoa! Stop the presses!

3 posted on 05/23/2011 9:19:18 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The USSR spent itself into bankruptcy and collapsed -- and aren't we on the same path now?)
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To: decimon

he analysis provides the first details about the prevalence of the disease across populations in ancient times. Photo by Dennis Van Gerven.
4 posted on 05/23/2011 9:20:11 AM PDT by decimon
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To: ClearCase_guy

4) Don’t let the snail water touch your skin.


5 posted on 05/23/2011 9:21:56 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

“Schistosomiasis is readily treated using a single oral dose of the drug praziquantel annually.[11] As with other major parasitic diseases, there is ongoing and extensive research into developing a schistosomiasis vaccine that will prevent the parasite from completing its life cycle in humans.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis


6 posted on 05/23/2011 9:25:21 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

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Thanks decimon.
About 25 percent of mummies in the study dated to about 1,500 years ago were found to have Schistosoma mansoni, a species of schistosomiasis associated with more modern-day irrigation techniques.
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
 

· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword ·
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·


7 posted on 05/23/2011 9:51:15 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
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To: decimon

He’s dead, Jim...


8 posted on 05/23/2011 9:54:52 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 851 of our national holiday from reality. - OBL Dead? The TSA can go away!)
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To: ClearCase_guy

5) Nubians were self treating by consuming large quantities of bee contating Tetracycline.!?!


9 posted on 05/23/2011 9:57:18 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: null and void
He’s dead, Jim...

I don't know, he could have some fight left in him.

10 posted on 05/23/2011 9:58:28 AM PDT by decimon
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To: afraidfortherepublic; ClearCase_guy

That’s suppose to say BEER containing Tetracycline.


11 posted on 05/23/2011 9:58:54 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: decimon

Is this another slam on agriculturists by the wild river crowd who oppose irrigation?


12 posted on 05/23/2011 10:00:52 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: decimon

13 posted on 05/23/2011 10:03:43 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: decimon; SunkenCiv

I’m remembering a MASH episode where they were trying to pull the wool over Hot Lips by justifying a quarantine of a tent because the inhabitant supposedly had schistosomiasis. I think it was Potter who figured the ruse out.


14 posted on 05/23/2011 1:45:14 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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