Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host.

Leprosy, one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history, remains prevalent in Asia, Africa, and South America, with over 200,000 cases every year. Although ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches on the major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, have elucidated the disease's evolutionary history, the role of animal hosts and interspecies transmission in the past remains unexplored. Research has uncovered relationships between medieval strains isolated from archaeological human remains and modern animal hosts such as the red squirrel in England.

Bioarchaeological investigation of individuals with suspected multibacillary leprosy from the mediaeval of St Mary Magdalen, Winchester, Hampshire, UK.

We have examined four burials from the St Mary Magdalen mediaeval cemetery in Winchester, Hampshire, UK. One (Sk.8) was a male child, two (Sk.