Article
What pre-Columbian mummies could teach us about South American leishmaniases?
Registration in:
SERENO, Denis et al. What pre-Columbian mummies could teach us about South American leishmaniases?. Pathogens and Disease, v. 75, n. 3, 6p, ftx019, 2017.
2049-632X
10.1093/femspd/ftx019
Author
Sereno, Denis
Akhoundi, Mohammad
Dorkeld, Franck
Oury, Bruno
Moomen, Hooman
Perrin, Pascale
Abstract
A recent report on the taxonomic profile of the human gut microbiome in pre-Columbian mummies (Santiago-Rodriguez
et al. 2016) gives for the first time evidence of the presence of Leishmania DNA (sequences similar to Leishmania donovani
according to the authors) that can be reminiscent of visceral leishmaniasis during the pre-Columbian era. It is commonly
assumed that Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) was introduced into the
New World by the Iberian conquest. This finding is really surprising and must be put into perspective with what is known
from an AVL epidemiological and historical point of view. Beside L. infantum, there are other species that are occasionally
reported to cause AVL in the New World. Among these, L. colombiensis is present in the region of pre-Columbian mummies
studied. Other explanations for these findings include a more ancient introduction of a visceral species of Leishmania from
the Old World or the existence of a yet unidentified endemic species causing visceral leishmaniasis in South America.
Unfortunately, very few molecular data are known about this very long pre-Columbian period concerning the circulating
species of Leishmania and their diversity in America.