5,300-year-old ice-age people with Lyme disease

Conduct genetic analysis of mummies on the 5,300-year-old Otzi tape shows that this is the oldest case of Lyme disease known in human history.

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In the process of understanding the genome of the Iceman, the scientific team discovered signs of the bacteria that cause the disease with symptoms of headache, fever, rash, arthritis, so that long-term psychosis can occur. Chronic, referred to as Lyme disease.

Results from the study were carried out on an Otzi hip bone sample that showed the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi - the source of Lyme disease, Dr. Albert Zink, director of the Mummy and Iceberg Institute in Bolzano, Italy. expression.

Dr. Albert Zink (right) and his colleagues are taking one
hip bone form from Ice. (Photo: Samadelli Marco / EURAC)

'As far as we know, until now, there have not been any documents that have documented the existence of this bacterium in ancient specimens , ' Zink said.

Blood-sucking ticks that live in Europe, Asia and North America are considered factors that play the role of Lyme disease transmission. The disease was first discovered in Connecticut, USA in the mid-1970s. By the 20th century, a similar disorder appeared in Europe. Previously, in many studies that examined mitochondrial DNA inherited by maternal flow, scientists have not found any evidence to prove the origin of the Iceman.

However, in this new project, they conducted DNA decoding in the nucleus of cells - the part inherited from both parents. Accordingly, Otzi belongs to a group of people that are only a few places at present.

'Otzi ancestors come from Europe, starting from the East and spreading across most or parts of Europe. This group has somehow been replaced by other communities, but they still exist in isolated areas, remote areas like Sardinia and Corsica , "Zink said.

In addition, the analysis also revealed other features in the Iceman, which is likely to be a person with brown eyes, blood type O and easy to develop cardiovascular disease.

Although the analysis of the health status of the ice has manifestations of disease and tendency to inherit heart disease, researchers still believe that ice men die due to being shot on the left shoulder.