Attempts to revive Mycobacterium tuberculosis from 300-year-old human mummies.
Environmental persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is subject to speculation. However, the reality that infected postmortem tissues can be a danger to pathologists and embalmers has worrisome implications. A few experimental studies have demonstrated the organism's ability to withstand exposure to embalming fluid and formalin. Recently, a failure was reported in an attempt to resuscitate an original isolate of Robert Koch to determine the lifetime of the tubercle bacillus. The present study also considers a historical approach to determine persistence under favorable environmental conditions. It asks whether acid-fast forms observed in tissues of 300-year-old Hungarian mummies can be resuscitated. Finding organisms before the advent of antibiotics and pasteurization may yield valuable genetic information. Using various media modifications, as well as guinea pig inoculation, an attempt was made to culture these tissues for M. tuberculosis. In addition, a resuscitation-promoting factor, known to increase colony counts in high G+C bacteria, was applied to the cultures. Although an occasional PCR-positive sample was detected, no colonies of M. tuberculosis were obtained. Our results may indicate that the life span of the tubercle bacillus is less than a few hundred years, even though in the short run it can survive harsh chemical treatment.
Lemma
Eshetu
E
Infectious and Other Diseases Research Department, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Zimhony
Oren
O
Greenblatt
Charles L
CL
Koltunov
Viktoria
V
Zylber
María Inés
MI
Vernon
Kim
K
Spigelman
Mark
M
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D009106:Mummies / Q000382:microbiology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D035423:Thoracic Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000382:microbiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016207:Cytokines; C113704:resuscitation-promoting factor, bacteria