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Gene sequencing, from which scientists can collect hereditary data from organisms, has revealed that the Black Death, often referred to as the plague, which reduced the world’s total population by about 100 million, originated in China ago is over 2000 years old, scientists from several countries wrote in the medical journal Genetics of nature. Genome sequencing has enabled researchers to reconstruct the Black Death plague pandemics in the late 1800s.
Black plague and plague – plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The Black Death is a major plague (pandemic) event in history.
the Black death is known as one of the deadliest and most widespread pandemics in history. It peaked in Europe between 1348 and 1350 and is believed to have been an epidemic of bubonic plague caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacteria. It reached the Crimea in 1346 and was probably spread by fleas on black rats that traveled on merchant ships. It quickly spread across the Mediterranean and Europe. The Black Death is believed to have destroyed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population – experts say it took Europe 150 years to recover its population. The plague returned several times until the 19th century when it left Europe for good. Most of the victims died two to seven days after being infected.
The authors of the new study claim that the plague evolved in the region of China more than 2,000 years ago and has repeatedly spread around the world as deadly pandemics. They compared 17 complete plague genome sequences as well as 933 variable DNA sites on a unique global collection of bacterial strains (plague isolates), allowing them to track pandemics that have taken place in history across the world and to determine the age of the different waves. of them.
The majority of pandemics were associated with known major historical events, such as the Black Death. Since none of the collections of isolates from individual scientific institutions were globally representative, the scientists explained that to understand the historical sources of plagues, all institutions would have to work together.
In order to prevent bioterrorism, access to Yersinia pestis – the bacterium known to be the cause of plagues – is seriously limited; therefore, it is not possible to assemble a complete collection. An international team of scientists from the UK, US, Ireland, Germany, Madagascar, China and France had to collaborate on decentralized analysis of DNA samples.
Their findings reveal a detailed history of the pandemic spread of a bacterial disease in a way never seen before.
Pandemic infectious diseases have affected humans since we first set foot on this planet, the authors explain. They have shaped the shape of civilizations.
Researchers reveal that the plague bacillus developed near or in China, and via multiple epidemics, was transmitted by several different routes, such as in Western Asia by the Silk Road and in Africa between 1409 and 1433 by Chinese travelers under explorer Zheng He. The Black Death swept through Asia, Europe and Africa from 1347 to 1351, and likely reduced the world’s population from 450 million to 350 million. About 50% of China’s population perished, while Europe shrank by a third and Africa by an eighth.
The University of Cork press release writes:
The last plague pandemic of 1894 spread to India and radiated to many parts of the globe, including the United States, which were infected with a single radiation persisting even today in wild rodents. Detailed analyzes in the United States and Madagascar have shown that subsequent country-specific development can be followed by unique mutations that have accumulated in their genomes, which should prove useful in tracking future disease outbreaks.
Project leader Professor Mark Achtman, Department of Microbiology, based at the Institute for Environmental Research at University College Cork, Ireland, said:
What I found so amazing about the results is that we were able to relate genetic information so precisely to major historical events.
“Routes of plague transmission from Hong Kong since 1894.” (Menu)
“Yersinia pestis genome sequencing identifies patterns of global phylogenetic diversity”
Giovanna Morelli, Yajun Song, Camila J Mazzoni, Mark Eppinger, Philippe Roumagnac, David M Wagner, Mirjam Feldkamp, Barica Kusecek, Amy J Vogler, Yanjun Li, Yujun Cui, Nicholas R Thomson, Thibaut Jombart, Raphael Leblois, Peter Lichtner , Lila Rahalison, Jeannine M Petersen, François Balloux, Paul Keim, Thierry Wirth, Jacques Ravel, Ruifu Yang, Elisabeth Carniel and Mark Achtman
Genetics of nature
Published online: October 31, 2010 | doi: 10.1038 / ng.705
Written by Christian Nordqvist
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