Taenia sp. in human burial from Kan River, East Siberia

Abstract

We present an arhaeoparasitological analysis of a unique burial from the Neftprovod II burial ground in East Siberia, which dated from the Bronze Age. Analysis of a sediment sample from the sacral region of the pelvis revealed the presence of Taenia sp. eggs. Because uncooked animal tissue is the primary source of Taenia, this indicated that the individual was likely consuming raw or undercooked meat of roe deer, red deer, or elk infected with Taenia. This finding represents the oldest case of a human infected with Taenia sp. from Eastern Siberia and Russia.

Paleoparasitology and pathoecology in Russia: Investigations and perspectives

“…This finding represents the oldest case of a human infected with Taenia sp. from Eastern Siberia and Russia (Slepchenko et al, 2017).…”

Trichuris trichiurain the mummified remains of southern Siberian nomads

“…Preparation of the sediment samples collected from the pelvic region and sacral foramina was as follows (Slepchenko et al 2016(Slepchenko et al , 2017. A 1g sample was ground and placed in a 0.2L beaker.…”

History ofTaenia saginataTapeworms in Northern Russia

“…Reindeer domestication was not an isolated process, but in relation to other domesticated animals, including cattle ( 31 , 32 ), domestications provided an interface for host switching of T. saginata . A recent archaeoparasitologic study in the region of the Kan River, which runs northward from the Sayans Mountains, reported that human-infecting Taenia tapeworms might have established a wildlife-dependent cycle in Siberia before reindeer domestication ( 33 ). Three taeniid eggs were found in remains of a human buried 3,000–4,000 years ago, but animal bone findings at archaeological sites showed that diet during that period was based mainly on cervids other than reindeer ( 33 ).…”

“…A recent archaeoparasitologic study in the region of the Kan River, which runs northward from the Sayans Mountains, reported that human-infecting Taenia tapeworms might have established a wildlife-dependent cycle in Siberia before reindeer domestication ( 33 ). Three taeniid eggs were found in remains of a human buried 3,000–4,000 years ago, but animal bone findings at archaeological sites showed that diet during that period was based mainly on cervids other than reindeer ( 33 ). T. saginata is not known to have a life cycle involving wild cervids.…”