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Researchers have discovered evidence of intestinal parasites in a 500-year-old latrine in Bruges, Belgium, offering valuable insights into the spread of infectious diseases through trade and travel during the medieval period. The study, led by Marissa Ledger, a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Ancient DNA Centre, has been published in the journal Parasitology.
A Wormy Discovery
The team identified a preserved egg of Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic flatworm responsible for schistosomiasis, a disease endemic to Africa. The parasite’s presence in Belgium, thousands of kilometers from its native region, provides some of the earliest evidence of schistosomiasis outside Africa. The discovery highlights the role of human migration and trade in spreading diseases across continents.
“Many of the parasites we see today have been around for centuries,” said Ledger. “One of our goals in infectious disease studies is to understand where in the world people had these parasites in the past and how their epidemiology has changed over time.”
Archaeology Meets Science
The latrine, uncovered during an excavation in 1996, was recently re-examined as part of a larger project by Ghent University focusing on medieval Bruges. The site, known as the Spanish Nation House, served as the administrative hub for Castilian merchants trading in the bustling port city. These traders facilitated the exchange of African goods such as gold, ivory, and spices, and may have inadvertently brought the parasite with them. Historical records also link this community to the early Atlantic slave trade.
Maxime Poulain, an archaeologist at Ghent University, noted the significance of combining historical, archaeological, and parasitological data. “Our findings speak to the complexity of medieval urban life and how interconnected this world was centuries ago. Bruges, as an international hub, inevitably facilitated the spread of diseases through its strong maritime trade networks.”
Implications for Modern Research
Ledger plans to analyze the genetics of the preserved parasite to compare it with modern strains, aiming to trace its evolutionary changes. “Understanding these parasites over a broader time frame provides more information on how they are impacted by factors like migration,” she said. “Even centuries ago, people were effectively moving infectious diseases across long distances.”
The study underscores the importance of analyzing organic remains from archaeological sites, which can shed light on health, hygiene, and mobility in historical populations. It also emphasizes the global interconnectedness of medieval trade networks and their unintended consequences, such as the spread of diseases.
This Belgian-Canadian collaboration not only enriches our understanding of medieval life but also offers valuable lessons on how diseases have traveled and evolved, informing current and future approaches to global health challenges.
