• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Immunology

Helminth infections common in Medieval Europe, grave study finds

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
August 27, 2020
in Immunology
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: Adrian Smith and Patrik Flammer, University of Oxford, UK

Although helminth infections–including tapeworms and roundworms–are among the world’s top neglected diseases, they are no longer endemic in Europe. However, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases report that these infections were common in Medieval Europe, according to grave samples analyzed from across the continent.

Helminths are parasitic worms and they infect an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide. The worms are transmitted through eggs that are present in human feces and can contaminate soil and water. While some infections cause only mild symptoms, others are associated with chronic malnutrition and physical impairment, particularly in children.

In the new work, Adrian Smith of the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues analyzed 589 grave samples from 7 European sites dated between 680 and 1700 CE. Samples were taken from the pelvises of skeletons. Data associated with the sites allowed them to assess the influence of age, sex and community size on helminth infection rates.

Two soil transmitted nematodes–Ascaris spp. and Trichuris trichiura–were identified at all locations, and two food derived cestodes–Diphyllobothrium latum and Taenia spp.–were found at 4 sites. No helminths were found in any control samples. The rates of nematode infection in the medieval population were estimated at 8.5% (range 1.5%-25.6%) for T. trichiura and 25.1% (range 9.3%-42.9%) for Ascaris, similar rates to those seen in modern endemically infected populations. There were no differences in infection rates by sex or community population size, but infection rates were most common among children.

“Since the prevalence of medieval soil transmitted helminth infections mirror those in modern endemic countries, the factors affecting helminth decline in Europe may also inform modern intervention campaigns,” the researchers say. “The parasites in past communities can tell us a lot about living conditions including hygiene, sanitation and even culinary practices.”

###

Peer-reviewed; Observational Study

Research Article

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008600

Citation: Flammer PG, Ryan H, Preston SG, Warren S, P?ichystalová R, et al. (2020) Epidemiological insights from a large-scale investigation of intestinal helminths in Medieval Europe. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 14(8): e0008600. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008600

Funding: We would like to acknowledge funding support from the Possehl Foundation (D.R. A.L.S. and P.F.; C180212; https://www.possehl-stiftung.de/de/index.html), John Fell OUP Research Fund (A.L.S.; 133/061; https://researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk/), the European Research Council (G.L.; ERC-2013-StG 337574-UNDEAD; https://erc.europa.eu/) and the Natural Environment Research Council (G.L.; NE/H005269/1 & NE/K005243/1; https://nerc.ukri.org/). During parts of this work A.L.S. was also funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/K004468/1 and BB/K001388/1; https://bbsrc.ukri.org/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Media Contact
Adrian L Smith
[email protected]

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008600

Tags: ArchaeologyBiologyDisease in the Developing WorldEcology/EnvironmentHistoryInfectious/Emerging DiseasesMedicine/HealthParasitologyPublic HealthZoology/Veterinary Science
Share13Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

IMAGE

UMass Amherst grad student awarded fellowship for food allergy research

July 23, 2021
IMAGE

Less-sensitive COVID-19 tests may still achieve optimal results if enough people tested

July 22, 2021

Public trust in CDC, FDA, and Fauci holds steady, survey shows

July 20, 2021

USC study shows male-female differences in immune cell function

July 19, 2021
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Breakthrough in Computer Hardware Advances Solves Complex Optimization Challenges

    147 shares
    Share 59 Tweet 37
  • Molecules in Focus: Capturing the Timeless Dance of Particles

    142 shares
    Share 57 Tweet 36
  • New Drug Formulation Transforms Intravenous Treatments into Rapid Injections

    115 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 29
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    81 shares
    Share 32 Tweet 20

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Urban Planning Unequally Burdens Traveller Sites Environmentally

Link Between Immune Inflammation and Diabetic Retinopathy Stages

Unseen Whirlwinds: Researchers Discover ‘Hidden’ Vortices That May Impact Soil and Snow Movement

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.