Plague Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Plague, including details on bubonic plague, yersinia pestis, infection, types, treatment.

Ancient typhoid epidemic reveals possible ancestral strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.

Papagrigorakis MJ, Synodinos PN, Yapijakis C

Department of Orthodontics, Dental School, University of Athens, 2 Thivon str., 11527 Goudi, Athens, Greece.

In contrast to other serotypes of Salmonella enterica, S. Typhi is exclusively adapted to human hosts. Recently, S. Typhi was identified in ancient skeletal material, thereby incriminating typhoid fever for the Plague of Athens. Since, according to Thucydides' report, animals were also affected by the disease, a working hypothesis is constituted that the causative agent of the Plague might be the anticipated original strain of S. Typhi, purportedly capable of infecting animals as well as humans. Possible future sequencing of the discovered ancient strain of S. Typhi may help towards identifying its genomic differences responsible for its modern specification to humans.

Published 12 December 2006 in Infect Genet Evol, 7(1): 126-7.
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