Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: Here we investigate infectious diseases that potentially contribute to osteological lesions in individuals from the early medieval necropolis of La Olmeda (6th-11th c. CE) in North Iberia.
METHODS: We studied a minimum number of 268 individuals (33 adult females; 38 adult males, 77 unknown/indeterminate sex; and 120 non-adults), including articulated and commingled remains. Individuals with differential diagnoses suggesting chronic systemic infectious diseases were sampled and bioinformatically screened for ancient pathogen DNA.
RESULTS: Five non-adults (and no adults) presented skeletal evidence of chronic systemic infectious disease (1.87% of the population; 4.67% of non-adults). The preferred diagnoses for these individuals included tuberculosis, brucellosis, and malaria. Ancient DNA fragments assigned to the malaria-causing pathogen, Plasmodium spp., were identified in three of the five individuals. Observed pathology includes lesions generally consistent with malaria; however, additional lesions in two of the individuals may represent hitherto unknown variation in the skeletal manifestation of this disease or co-infection with tuberculosis or brucellosis. Additionally, spondylolysis was observed in one individual with skeletal lesions suggestive of infectious disease.
CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on the pathological landscape in Iberia during a time of great social, demographic, and environmental change. Genetic evidence challenges the hypothesis that malaria was absent from early medieval Iberia and demonstrates the value of combining osteological and archaeogenetic methods. Additionally, all of the preferred infectious diagnoses for the individuals included in this study (malaria, tuberculosis, and brucellosis) could have contributed to the febrile cases described in historical sources from this time.
METHODS: We studied a minimum number of 268 individuals (33 adult females; 38 adult males, 77 unknown/indeterminate sex; and 120 non-adults), including articulated and commingled remains. Individuals with differential diagnoses suggesting chronic systemic infectious diseases were sampled and bioinformatically screened for ancient pathogen DNA.
RESULTS: Five non-adults (and no adults) presented skeletal evidence of chronic systemic infectious disease (1.87% of the population; 4.67% of non-adults). The preferred diagnoses for these individuals included tuberculosis, brucellosis, and malaria. Ancient DNA fragments assigned to the malaria-causing pathogen, Plasmodium spp., were identified in three of the five individuals. Observed pathology includes lesions generally consistent with malaria; however, additional lesions in two of the individuals may represent hitherto unknown variation in the skeletal manifestation of this disease or co-infection with tuberculosis or brucellosis. Additionally, spondylolysis was observed in one individual with skeletal lesions suggestive of infectious disease.
CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on the pathological landscape in Iberia during a time of great social, demographic, and environmental change. Genetic evidence challenges the hypothesis that malaria was absent from early medieval Iberia and demonstrates the value of combining osteological and archaeogenetic methods. Additionally, all of the preferred infectious diagnoses for the individuals included in this study (malaria, tuberculosis, and brucellosis) could have contributed to the febrile cases described in historical sources from this time.
摘要：
目的：在这里，我们研究了北伊比利亚中世纪早期LaOlmeda（第6-11c。CE）的个体中可能导致骨病的感染性疾病。
方法：我们研究了最少268个人（33名成年女性；38名成年男性，77个未知/不确定性别；和120个非成年人)，包括铰接和混合的遗骸。对具有鉴别诊断提示慢性全身性传染病的个体进行了采样，并生物信息学筛选了古代病原体DNA。
结果：5名非成人（和无成人）提出了慢性全身性传染病的骨骼证据（1.87％的人口；4.67％的非成人）。这些人的首选诊断包括结核病，布鲁氏菌病,和疟疾。分配给引起疟疾的病原体的古老DNA片段，疟原虫。,在五个人中的三个被确认。观察到的病理包括通常与疟疾一致的病变；然而，其中两个人的其他病变可能代表该疾病骨骼表现的迄今未知的变化，或与结核病或布氏杆菌病合并感染。此外,在一名患有提示感染性疾病的骨骼病变的个体中观察到脊椎溶解。
结论：这项研究揭示了伊比利亚在一个伟大的社会时代的病理景观，人口统计学,和环境变化。遗传证据挑战了中世纪伊比利亚早期不存在疟疾的假设，并证明了将骨学和考古遗传学方法相结合的价值。此外,本研究中包括的个体的所有首选传染病诊断(疟疾，结核病,和布鲁氏菌病）可能是当时历史资料中描述的发热病例的原因。
方法：我们研究了最少268个人（33名成年女性；38名成年男性，77个未知/不确定性别；和120个非成年人)，包括铰接和混合的遗骸。对具有鉴别诊断提示慢性全身性传染病的个体进行了采样，并生物信息学筛选了古代病原体DNA。
结果：5名非成人（和无成人）提出了慢性全身性传染病的骨骼证据（1.87％的人口；4.67％的非成人）。这些人的首选诊断包括结核病，布鲁氏菌病,和疟疾。分配给引起疟疾的病原体的古老DNA片段，疟原虫。,在五个人中的三个被确认。观察到的病理包括通常与疟疾一致的病变；然而，其中两个人的其他病变可能代表该疾病骨骼表现的迄今未知的变化，或与结核病或布氏杆菌病合并感染。此外,在一名患有提示感染性疾病的骨骼病变的个体中观察到脊椎溶解。
结论：这项研究揭示了伊比利亚在一个伟大的社会时代的病理景观，人口统计学,和环境变化。遗传证据挑战了中世纪伊比利亚早期不存在疟疾的假设，并证明了将骨学和考古遗传学方法相结合的价值。此外,本研究中包括的个体的所有首选传染病诊断(疟疾，结核病,和布鲁氏菌病）可能是当时历史资料中描述的发热病例的原因。
