Italian researchers have
discovered antibiotic-resistant genes in a Peruvian mummy from
the Pre-Columbian era.
Paleopathologists from Pisa University carried out the
research on the mummy that was brought to Italy at the end of
the 19th century by Italian doctors and naturalists. It is
housed in Florence's Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology.
"We identified several genes in the mummy's remains that
are resistant to some types of antibiotics," said
paleopathologist Gino Fornaciari.
The analysis was carried out on genetic material taken from
the remains of a roughly 20-year-old woman whose corpse
mummified naturally in the cold and dry climate of the Andes.
She is estimated to have lived in the 11th or 12th century.
By examining her internal organs, researchers were able to
identify her cause of death as the Chagas tropical parasitic
disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi.
The study was able to identify several antibiotic-resistant
genes that would have made modern antibiotic treatment
ineffective.
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