Open AccessMolecular detection of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum in 150-year-old foetal remains, southeastern France
Author(s) -
Avril Meffray,
Marie Perrin,
Anne Richier,
Aurore Schmitt,
Yann Ardagna,
Philippe Biagini
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/jmm.0.000978
Subject(s) - treponema , syphilis , subspecies , virology , biology , congenital syphilis , paleopathology , medicine , zoology , pathology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)
Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum , is considered as an old disease affecting humans; traces of such infections, including congenital syphilis, are potentially identifiable in archaeological samples. The aim of this research was to perform macroscopic and molecular investigations of T. pallidum on six infant remains, buried between 1837 and 1867, from the cemetery of 'Les Crottes' in Marseille city (southeastern France).