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During the First World War, more than 500,000 soldiers were struck by a disease which was called trench fever. the disease was spread by body lice among soldiers in wet and close conditions in the trenches, and symptoms include extreme dizziness, headaches, back and leg pain, as well as a fever that could reach 40.5 ° C.
When it was first discovered, scientists believed it was a unique condition of warfare.
However, the researchers found that people had the disease hundreds of years before World War I soldiers contracted the disease.
Archaeologists from the University of South Florida (USF) analyzed bone fragments from 145 people who lived between the 1st and 19th centuries, as part of new research published in the journal PLOS One.
All the deceased people were buried in a Roman cemetery in Syracuse, Sicily.
To the team’s surprise, they found that at least 20% of the individuals analyzed had traces of Bartonella quintana, the bacterium responsible for trench fever.
The researchers said the disease was relatively easy to spot in ancient tracks as it alters an individual’s DNA.
Davide Tanasi, associate professor of the USF History Department and member of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Culture and the Environment, said: “Once contracted, there are diseases, such as trench fever, that can leave traces. into your DNA and they can supplement your DNA with more information.
“This means that once a person dies, even 2,000 years ago, it is still possible to find traces of the bacterium that infected them.”
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A USF statement states: “Bacteria spread to humans through contact with body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis), making poor personal hygiene a primary factor in its spread and rate of infection.
‘The researchers hope that, by tracing the progression of B. quintana through history, they will be able to identify ways to better manage the spread of the disease today.
“Per Tanasi continues his work with the remains excavated in Sicily.
“Through stable isotope analysis, his research group examines the diet and life of those who once lived in the region.
“He hopes that this work will further answer the questions about the lifestyle and health of the Christian community of Roman Syracuse”.
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