Study of mummies show infections common in ancient Egypt

[guy]

There have been previous threads about infections that ravaged ancient Egypt. Recent studies of the remains of mummies have shown interesting findings:

Of the mummies studied:

65% revealed schistosomiasis*

40% headlice

22% falciparum malaria 

10% leishmaniasis

 

From the articles, it appears that 31 mummies were examined for study.

 

*Schistosomiasis is spread by contaminated water with parasites released by infected freshwater snails. Even today about 250 million people have been infected with schistosomiasis. Each year schistosomiasis causes many thousands of deaths, possibly as many as 200,000 deaths yearly.

 

Quote

The civilizations that appear to have suffered the most severe health consequences from parasites were that of Ancient Egypt and Nubia. There was widespread infection by malaria spread by mosquitos, leishmaniasis spread by sand flies, and schistosomiasis spread by wading in their crop irrigation systems. Malaria and schistosomiasis cause anaemia, and the reduced number of red blood cells resulted in impaired ability of labourers to do hard work. Despite this, the Egyptians managed to complete major building projects such as their pyramids, temples, and ornate tombs for kings and nobility. The widespread anaemia from parasite infection in ancient Egypt meant they would have struggled to build these monuments using their own diseased workforce alone. They could only build the ancient Egypt we see today using imported labour, such as slaves captured during military campaigns.

How Ancient Civilizations Were Burdened by their Parasites - Fifteen Eighty Four | Cambridge University Press Parasites in Past Civilizations and Their Impact upon Health (cambridgeblog.org)

 

Child suffering from schistosomiasis

 

Parasites in ancient Egypt and Nubia: Malaria, schistosomiasis and the pharaohs - ScienceDirect

Parasitic Worms Plagued These Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs (popularmechanics.com)
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/04/study-reveals-disease-landscape-of-ancient-egypt/151312

 

 

 

Edited April 8 by guy

[guidoLaMoto]

65% for worms!! Wow....and these mummies were presumably the well to do class. Imagine the rates among the poor with more crowded living conditions. Malnutrition both from lack of adequate meat intake as well as nearly universal parasitic disease is probably a problem under appreciated by modern historians.

It's been suggested that Caesar's "falling sickness" was anything from primary epilepsy or CVAs (both unlikely in a non-diabetic, non-smoker in his 50s) to cystocicersis from eating pork in Egypt (also less likely given the intermittency of his attacks). Tertiary syphylis may be the best fit of his symptoms.

[guy]

1 hour ago, guidoLaMoto said:

It's been suggested that Caesar's "falling sickness" was anything from primary epilepsy or CVAs (both unlikely in a non-diabetic, non-smoker in his 50s) to cystocicersis from eating pork in Egypt (also less likely given the intermittency of his attacks). Tertiary syphylis may be the best fit of his symptoms.

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