Paleopathology and Paleomicrobiology of Malaria
- Author: Andreas Nerlich1
- Editors: Michel Drancourt2, Didier Raoult3
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VIEW AFFILIATIONS HIDE AFFILIATIONSAffiliations: 1: Institute of Pathology, Academic Clinic Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany; 2: Aix Marseille Université Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France; 3: Aix Marseille Université Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
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Received 05 April 2015 Accepted 20 April 2015 Published 04 November 2016
- Correspondence: Andreas Nerlich, [email protected]

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Abstract:
Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted through the bites of female anopheles flies. Plasmodium falciparum causes severe malaria with undulating high fever (malaria tropica). Literary evidence of malarial infection dates back to the early Greek period, when Hippocrates described the typical undulating fever highly suggestive of plasmodial infection. Recent immunological and molecular analyses describe the unambiguous identification of malarial infections in several ancient Egyptian mummies and a few isolated cases in Roman and Renaissance Europe. Although the numbers of cases are low, there is evidence that the overall infection rates may have been relatively high and that this infectious disease may have had a significant impact on historical populations.
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Citation: Nerlich A. 2016. Paleopathology and Paleomicrobiology of Malaria. Microbiol Spectrum 4(6):PoH-0006-2015. doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.PoH-0006-2015.




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Abstract:
Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted through the bites of female anopheles flies. Plasmodium falciparum causes severe malaria with undulating high fever (malaria tropica). Literary evidence of malarial infection dates back to the early Greek period, when Hippocrates described the typical undulating fever highly suggestive of plasmodial infection. Recent immunological and molecular analyses describe the unambiguous identification of malarial infections in several ancient Egyptian mummies and a few isolated cases in Roman and Renaissance Europe. Although the numbers of cases are low, there is evidence that the overall infection rates may have been relatively high and that this infectious disease may have had a significant impact on historical populations.

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Figures

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FIGURE 1
Temple wall representation of an insect (Temple of Queen Hatchepsut, Deir-el-Bahari, Thebes-West, Egypt, c. 1300 BC). Most Egyptological references translate this hieroglyph as “bee”; however, there is also some potential resemblance to anopheles flies.

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FIGURE 2
Macropathological example of severe chronic anemia evidenced by orbital pitting (cribra orbitalia). Similar morphological changes may occur in chronic anemia caused by malaria. However, cribra orbitalia and other porotic hyperostoses of the skull are also seen in chronic deficiency conditions, including anemia with other causes.
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