Scientists from the Jena, Germany-based Max Planck Institute sequenced DNA from 20 skeletons from the 17th century found in a mass burial site for plague victims. The findings showed Yersinia pestis, a bacteria that typically lives in fleas or small animals and rodents, was responsible for the infection. The bacteria was also reportedly found in DNA sequences from skeletons epidemiologically linked to the 14th century Black Death and the 1720 Marseilles Plague, according to the article.
Because any trace of the bacteria on the surface of the skeletons would have died long ago, scientists extracted DNA samples from the skeletons’ teeth, where traces of the bacteria may have been preserved, according to the article.
Researchers from the Institute said the DNA investigations may help health professionals understand the contemporary plague, which continues to affect hundreds of each year. In 2013, more than 780 cases and 126 deaths from the plague were reported, according to the article.
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