2024-07-10 23:26:56
Cairo: The ancient civilization of Egypt is the most famous in the world. It is known for its huge architecture and rich cultural heritage. But this civilization also struggled with various types of infectious diseases. A recent research has shown that the Egyptians suffered from diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis and some leprosy. A notable case is that of Ramesses V, the fourth pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty of Egypt, whose mummified body has clear marks of smallpox. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the eradication of smallpox worldwide in 1980. But is it possible that the mummies found now can recreate smallpox or any other disease? Piers Mitchell, director of the Ancient Parasite Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, says that it is extremely difficult for this to be possible. According to the report of Live Science, he said, ‘If there is no living host body, most species of parasites die within a year or two. If more than 10 years pass, everything will be over.’ Poxviruses, such as smallpox, can only reproduce inside the cells of a living host, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institutes of (NIH) Health.
can leprosy be spread
According to the NIH, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy also need a living host to survive. In the case of leprosy, it takes a long period of contact with a sick person to spread. This is because the bacteria that cause this disease increase their population slowly. Another factor that makes it less likely to transmit a disease from a mummy is the degradation of DNA.
disease cannot spread
Michel said, ‘The analysis showed that all the pieces of DNA of these parasites are small. Instead of having nice, long, healthy DNA chains, they are only 50 to 100 base pairs. It seems as if everything has been cut. This is because the DNA is getting damaged and breaking. Once the DNA is broken, nothing can happen.’ Although intestinal worms can live longer than other organisms, not everyone needs a host. However, this is also not a matter of concern.