title: Pre-Columbian tuberculosis in northern Chile: molecular and skeletal evidence.
abstract: Analysis of 483 skeletons from Arica (Chile) and review of mummy dissection records demonstrates an overall 1% prevalence rate for tuberculosis between 2000 B.C. and A.D. 1500. Tuberculosis cases cluster in the period A.D. 500-1000 which correlates with fully agropastoral societies. Considering only these agropastoral societies, about 2% of their members show tuberculosis lesions. A segment of DNA unique to Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified in an extract from the vertebral lesion of a 12-year-old girl with Pott's disease from about A.D. 1000, establishing the pre-Columbian presence of tuberculosis with the most specific evidence currently available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 89154-5012, USA.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Arriaza
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Aufderheide
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Holcomb
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics; D010164:Paleopathology / Q000266:history*; D015995:Prevalence; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial