Returning from the White City, the expedition team contracted a terrifying disease.

Many members of the expedition suffered facial disfigurement after their trip to the White City, also known as the City of the Monkey God, in Honduras.

La Ciudad Blanca, or White City or City of the Monkey God , has been abandoned in the Mosquitia rainforest of eastern Honduras since the 16th century, after its entire population fled, believing it was cursed and killing them with a strange disease.

Despite the creepy legends, a team of explorers and archaeologists from the US and Honduras decided to visit the ruins in 2015.

In a new article, Ancient Origins quoted American author Douglas Preston, a member of the archaeological team, as saying that something unfortunate had indeed happened.

The White City is depicted in a documentary painting and an artifact that the archaeological team photographed at the site - (Documentary photo).

Many members of the expedition contracted a rare disease after returning from the White City.

However, they claim that it is not a curse, but a disease-causing parasite.

They were diagnosed with leishmaniasis , a rare skin infection contracted when a victim is bitten by a fly carrying the parasite that causes the disease, whose symptoms are similar to those of leprosy.

Mr Preston described the horrific symptoms of the disease to CBS News : "The parasites travel to the lining of your mouth and nose and basically eat them away. Your nose falls off, your lips fall off, and eventually your face becomes a giant, open sore."

Mr Preston also contracted the disease, but received timely intervention. He said he has no regrets about the experience.

In a previous interview, the American author also revealed that up to two-thirds of the expedition team suffered from the disease. Some recovered and then relapsed in the following years.

The trip also helped the expedition team find a large number of artifacts - dating from 1000 to 1500 AD - carved from stone and clay, including some made of gold.

Multiple LiDAR surveys also helped them map the area.

Many studies and documentaries from them have been published and will continue to be published in the future.

The White City remains shrouded in mystery, with very few explorers having visited it a century after a pilot accidentally spotted white rocks while flying over the Honduran jungle.

It also became the inspiration for many stories and movies related to ancient civilizations.