Skeleton reveals leprosy secrets

Published May 14, 2015

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London - An ancient skeleton dug up in Essex may help scientists prove that a strain of leprosy spread to Britain from Scandinavia 1 500 years ago.

The remains of a young man were excavated near Saffron Waldon in the 1950s. Researchers using radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis have now been able to confirm that he suffered from a strain of the disease previously found in burials in Scandinavia.

His bones showed changes consistent with leprosy, which used to be one of the biggest killers in Europe. And chemicals from the man’s teeth suggest he grew up in Scandinavia in the 5th or 6th century – raising the possibility that he brought the strain with him when he migrated to Britain.

Dr Sarah Inskip, of The Netherlands’ Leiden University – whose findings will be published in the journal PLOS ONE – said: “The radiocarbon date confirms this is one of the earliest cases in the UK to have been successfully studied with modern methods.”

Daily Mail

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