Parasitism in Kansas in the 1800s: a glimpse to the past through the analysis of grave sediments from Meadowlark cemetery

Abstract

During the excavations of the XIX century Meadowlark cemetery (Manhattan, Kansas, US) Scientists have been using different techniques to look for parasites in ancient material (Reinhard et al. 1987, Araujo et al. 1998). Coprolites or desiccated feces, or fecal remains mixed with soil sediment are commonly found in archaeological excavations. The parasitological analysis of such material yields rich information about paleopathologies, human migrations, cultural changes, dietary habits, paleoclimates, parasite dispersion, and host migrations throughout space and time (Reinhard et al 2001, Gonçalves et al. 2003. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe analyzed sediments were collected during the excavation of the Meadowlark Cemetery, on the grounds of Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community in Manhattan, Kansas. This cemetery was used during the period ca. 1860 to 1900. It was excavated during the summer and early fall of 2004 to make way for construction of new residences on the retirement community property. A total of 17 graves were revealed. Thirteen of these graves contained skeletons. Sediment samples from the abdominal region of five skeletons were studied: MC F9, F10, F12, F13, and F17 (Table).The material was submitted to the standard paleoparasitological examination using an optical microscope to search for helminth eggs. A commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with monoclonal antibodies was used to test for antigen from Entamoeba histolytica (Haque et al. 1995(Haque et al. , 2000 and Giardia duodenalis (Aldeen et al. 1998, Boone et al. 1999, two common intestinal protozoan parasites.For the standard paleoparasitological examination, the samples were rehydrated for a week in 0.5% trisodic phosphate and 5% glycerinated solution. The material was then crushed in a mortar. The suspension was submitted to an ultrasound device for 1 min at 50°C, on a frequency of 35 kHz, and the suspension strained through 315-µm, 160-µm, 50-µm, and 25-µm meshes. A portion of each sample was used for microscopic examination. The material was placed on a slide that was covered with a coverslip and examined for evidence of parasites and food remains. Twenty slides of each sample were examined at magnification of ×100 and ×400 (Bouchet et al. 2001).For the ELISA tests, the E. histolytica II and the Giardia II assay (TechLab, Blackburg, VA, US) were used. Sample preparation was quite different to provide physicochemical parameter modifications, especially due to formalin (Hould 1984, Exbrayat 2000. The samples were rehydrated for one week in ultra-pure water obtained from a purification system manufactured by Millipore ® (Direct-Q TM 5). Samples were preserved in the freezer (2-4°C) during the rehydration phase to avoid bacteria and fungi development. Manufacturer's directions were followed and results were interpreted by visual inspection and using a spectrophotometer. A test sample was considered positive if it had an obvious yellow color when compared to the negative control well. A test sample was considered negativ...

Primer estudio paleoparasitológico en restos humanos de la provincia de Córdoba (Holoceno tardío)

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Detection Trend of Helminth Eggs in the Strata Soil Samples from Ancient Historic Places of Korea

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