Transmission of Zoonotic Diseases in the Daily Life of Ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum (79 CE, Italy): A Review of Animal–Human–Environment Interactions through Biological, Historical and Archaeological Sources

Abstract

There is no doubt that the cultural and urban environments contributed to the animal–human interaction in the daily life of the ancient Roman world. The singularity of the circumstances of the burial of Pompeii and Herculaneum, together with literary sources and the extraordinary state of preservation of the archaeological and biological material found, has provided researchers with an opportunity, unique in its kind, to reconstruct the life and ways of living of its inhabitants. This study illustrates the main drivers and mechanisms for the distribution and transmission of zoonotic diseases in these ancient Roman populations, such as (i) the large number and role that different animal species played in the ancient Roman world; (ii) the environmental conditions for the survival of parasites, pathogens and vectors; (iii) the great variety and intensity of commercial activities and occupations that presented certain risks of infections; (iv) the absence of adequate safety controls during processing, distribution and preservation of foodstuffs in unsuitable environments and some culinary habits; (v) the inadequate mechanisms of the disposal of human waste and the biotic contamination of watercourses and reservoirs; and finally (vi) the use of animals related to religious and cultural practices.

Post-Mortem Dental Profile as a Powerful Tool in Animal Forensic Investigations—A Review

“…The human–animal interaction dates back to prehistoric times, with animal domestication being practiced for thousands of years [ 18 , 19 ]. From ancient times, humans exploited animals for multiple reasons, generally having productive outcomes for humans, such as farming, obtaining food products (e.g., chickens as suppliers of eggs, pigs and poultry as meat sources), transportation of people or cargoes (e.g., mules for transport of supplies, horses as vehicles), recreation and entertainment (e.g., circus shows, horse racing), sports and hunting (e.g., sporting dogs) [ 20 ]. However, interactions between humans and animals can also be unproductive and unintentional, sometimes leading to injuries.…”

The Viral Origin of Human Breast Cancer: From the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) to the Human Betaretrovirus (HBRV)

“…In the past millennia there was a rise in the frequency of house mice with the intensification of urbanization. Cats became domestic to control rodents and possibly participated in giving rise to the origin of zoonoses [241].…”

Uncovering the Holocene roots of contemporary disease-scapes: bringing archaeology into One Health

“…Archaeologists can help address this problem by documenting the deeper history of humans in shaping diseases. However, archaeological methods, tools and data have not fully been leveraged in One Health approaches, with a few notable exceptions such as the One Health Archaeology Research Group at the University of Edinburgh and a handful of initiatives and researchers elsewhere [7][8][9][10][11].…”