title: Outbreak of tuberculosis in a 2000-year-old Chinese population.
abstract: The molecular identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in ancient human remains has been achieved mainly in mummies with macroscopic changes but not in the skeletons without bone tuberculosis. Using polymerase chain reaction studies, we identified mycobacterial DNA in 2000-year-old human skeletons without pathological changes. Our findings suggest that these people suffered from an outbreak of tuberculosis. Molecular examinations for mycobacterial DNA in the bone marrow of skeletons may contribute to the clarification of ancient diseases in old human populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fusegawa
authors.forename: Bing-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Mitsuzane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okauchi
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagakura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D010164:Paleopathology; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history*