Human tuberculosis predates domestication in ancient Syria

Abstract

The question of pre-neolithic tuberculosis is still open in paleopathological perspective. One of the major interests is to explore what type of infection could have existed around the early stage of animal domestication. Paleopathological lesions evoking skeletal TB were observed on five human skeletons coming from two PPNB sites in Syria, which belongs to the geographical cradle of agriculture. These sites represent respectively pre-domestication phase (Dja'de el Mughara, Northern Syria, 8800-8300 BCE cal.) and early domestication phase (Tell Aswad, Southern Syria, 8200-7600 BCE cal.). MicroCT scan analyses were performed on two specimens (one per site) and revealed microscopic changes in favor of TB infection. Detection of lipid biomarkers is positive for two specimens (one per site). Initial molecular analysis further indicates the presence of TB in one individual from Dja'de. Interestingly, no morphological evidence of TB was observed on animal remains of wild and newly domesticated species, discovered in these sites. These observations strongly suggest the presence of human tuberculosis before domestication and at its early stages.

Armed conflict and population displacement as drivers of the evolution and dispersal of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

“…All current studies based both on ancient and modern samples in which substitution rates were directly inferred from the data support the notion that the MRCA of Mtb circulating today existed ∼6,000 y ago; however, this does not rule out the possibility that TB is a more ancient disease, as has been suggested by archeological studies (32,33). Indeed, the MRCA of currently extant Mtb strains could be younger than that of TB as a result of a clonal replacement in the global Mtb population.…”

Positive Diagnosis of Ancient Leprosy and Tuberculosis Using Ancient DNA and Lipid Biomarkers

“…The best evidence for the oldest Homo sapiens TB is contained in the~9 ka Atlit-Yam skeletons (Figure 3), but older cases from the pre-animal domestication phase-Dja'de el Mughara, Northern Syria (10.8-10.3 ka)-and early domestication-Tell Aswad, Southern Syria, (10.2-9.6 ka)-are evident [64]. In the former case, TB aDNA amplification was achieved for individual 483, supported by clear C 32 mycocerosates in both a rib and a vertebra.…”

A Mycobacterium tuberculosis komplex archaikus DNS kimutatása emberi csontvázmaradványokból

“…Ugyan az Atlit Yam-i 9 évezredes tbc rendkívül régi, azonban mégsem cáfolja még egyértelműen az említett "domesztikációs elméletet". A közelmúltban felfedezett szíriai (Dja'de el Mughara lelőhelyről származó), több mint tízezer éves paleopatológiai tuberkulózisos esetnél azonban a kormeghatározás és az archeológiai/archeozoológiai kontextus egyértelműen domesztikáció előtti fertőzést jeleznek (Dutour et al, 2010;Baker et al, 2015). A disszertációmban leírt, magyarországi neolitikum korszakából származó két temető a fentebb megfogalmazottak miatt is nagy jelentőséggel bír, mivel igazolni tudtuk a megbetegedés ill. fertőzöttség előfordulását a két lelőhelyen eltemetett neolit kori népességben.…”

“…A tuberkulózis (tbc) az egyik legrégebbi fertőző betegség, a megbetegedések száma napjainkban is nagy méreteket ölt (Ortner, 2003;Gutierrez et al, 2005;Hershkovitz et al, 2008;Donoghue, 2009;Baker et al, 2015;Donoghue et al, 2015;Pálfi et al, 2015). A tuberkulózis pandémiás megjelenésű, a WHO becslései szerint jelenleg a Föld népességének mintegy 30%-a látens Mycobacterium tuberculosis hordozó lehet.…”