Historical Y. pestis Genomes Reveal the European Black Death as the Source of Ancient and Modern Plague Pandemics.
Ancient DNA analysis has revealed an involvement of the bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis in several historical pandemics, including the second plague pandemic (Europe, mid-14(th) century Black Death until the mid-18(th) century AD). Here we present reconstructed Y. pestis genomes from plague victims of the Black Death and two subsequent historical outbreaks spanning Europe and its vicinity, namely Barcelona, Spain (1300-1420 cal AD), Bolgar City, Russia (1362-1400 AD), and Ellwangen, Germany (1485-1627 cal AD). Our results provide support for (1) a single entry of Y. pestis in Europe during the Black Death, (2) a wave of plague that traveled toward Asia to later become the source population for contemporary worldwide epidemics, and (3) the presence of an historical European plague focus involved in post-Black Death outbreaks that is now likely extinct.
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07743, Germany.
Maria A
MA
Spyrou
Laboratory of Paleoanthropology & Paleogenetics, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russian Federation; Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Kazan 420012, Russian Federation.
Rezeda I
RI
Tukhbatova
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07743, Germany.
Michal
M
Feldman
Department of Archeological Sciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72070, Germany.
Joanna
J
Drath
PACEA, CNRS Institute, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac 33615, France.
Sacha
S
Kacki
Museu de Historia de Barcelona, Barcelona 08002, Spain.
Julia
J
Beltrán de Heredia
State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Baden-Württemberg, Esslingen 73728, Germany.
Susanne
S
Arnold
Laboratory of Paleoanthropology & Paleogenetics, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russian Federation; Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Kazan 420012, Russian Federation.
Airat G
AG
Sitdikov
PACEA, CNRS Institute, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac 33615, France.
Dominique
D
Castex
Department of Archeological Sciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72070, Germany; State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Baden-Württemberg, Osteology, Konstanz 78467, Germany.
Joachim
J
Wahl
Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Kazan 420012, Russian Federation.
Ilgizar R
IR
Gazimzyanov
Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russian Federation.
Danis K
DK
Nurgaliev
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07743, Germany. Electronic address: herbig@shh.mpg.de.
Alexander
A
Herbig
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07743, Germany. Electronic address: bos@shh.mpg.de.
Kirsten I
KI
Bos
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07743, Germany; Department of Archeological Sciences, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72070, Germany. Electronic address: krause@shh.mpg.de.
Johannes
J
Krause
D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058873:Pandemics / Q000266:history*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010930:Plague / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014070:Tooth / Q000382:microbiology; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004269:DNA, Bacterial