Evidence for louse-transmitted diseases in soldiers of Napoleon's grand army in Vilnius
Didier Raoult
(1)
,
Olivier Dutour
(2)
,
Rimantas Jankauskas
(3)
,
L. Houhamdi
(1)
,
Pierre-Edouard Fournier
(1)
,
Yann Ardagna
(2)
,
Michel Drancourt
(1)
,
Michel Signoli
(2)
,
V.-D. La
(1)
,
Enguerran Macia
(2)
,
Gérard Aboudharam
(1)
Didier Raoult
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 8465
- IdHAL : didier-raoult
- ORCID : 0000-0002-0633-5974
- IdRef : 035496169
Olivier Dutour
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 792178
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8134-788X
- IdRef : 029722756
Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 956324
Yann Ardagna
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 20140
- IdHAL : yann-ardagna
- IdRef : 112239757
Michel Drancourt
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 182550
- IdHAL : michel-drancourt
- ORCID : 0000-0003-0768-1139
- IdRef : 060258411
Michel Signoli
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1116986
- ORCID : 0000-0001-6384-3564
- IdRef : 076954439
Enguerran Macia
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 741433
- IdHAL : enguerran-macia
Gérard Aboudharam
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 756023
- ORCID : 0000-0003-4472-9154
- IdRef : 069022127
Résumé
Background. Many soldiers in Napoleon's Grand Army died of infectious diseases during its retreat from Russia. Because soldiers were commonly infested with body lice, it has been speculated that louse-borne infectious diseases, such as epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), were common.
Methods. We investigated this possibility during recent excavations of a mass grave of Napoleon's soldiers in Vilnius, Lithuania. Segments of 5 body lice, identified morphologically and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing, were found in earth from the grave that also contained fragments of soldiers' uniforms.
Results. DNA of Bartonella quintana (the agent of trench fever) was identified by PCR and sequencing in 3 of the lice. Similarly, PCR and sequencing of dental pulp from the remains of 35 soldiers revealed DNA of B. quintana in 7 soldiers and DNA of R. prowazekii in 3 other soldiers.
Conclusions. Our results show that louse-borne infectious diseases affected nearly one-third of Napoleon's soldiers buried in Vilnius and indicate that these diseases might have been a major factor in the French retreat from Russia.
Methods. We investigated this possibility during recent excavations of a mass grave of Napoleon's soldiers in Vilnius, Lithuania. Segments of 5 body lice, identified morphologically and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing, were found in earth from the grave that also contained fragments of soldiers' uniforms.
Results. DNA of Bartonella quintana (the agent of trench fever) was identified by PCR and sequencing in 3 of the lice. Similarly, PCR and sequencing of dental pulp from the remains of 35 soldiers revealed DNA of B. quintana in 7 soldiers and DNA of R. prowazekii in 3 other soldiers.
Conclusions. Our results show that louse-borne infectious diseases affected nearly one-third of Napoleon's soldiers buried in Vilnius and indicate that these diseases might have been a major factor in the French retreat from Russia.
Domaines
Anthropologie biologiqueFormat du dépôt | Notice |
---|---|
Type de dépôt | Article dans une revue |
Titre |
en
Evidence for louse-transmitted diseases in soldiers of Napoleon's grand army in Vilnius
|
Résumé |
en
Background. Many soldiers in Napoleon's Grand Army died of infectious diseases during its retreat from Russia. Because soldiers were commonly infested with body lice, it has been speculated that louse-borne infectious diseases, such as epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii), were common.<br />Methods. We investigated this possibility during recent excavations of a mass grave of Napoleon's soldiers in Vilnius, Lithuania. Segments of 5 body lice, identified morphologically and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing, were found in earth from the grave that also contained fragments of soldiers' uniforms. <br />Results. DNA of Bartonella quintana (the agent of trench fever) was identified by PCR and sequencing in 3 of the lice. Similarly, PCR and sequencing of dental pulp from the remains of 35 soldiers revealed DNA of B. quintana in 7 soldiers and DNA of R. prowazekii in 3 other soldiers. <br />Conclusions. Our results show that louse-borne infectious diseases affected nearly one-third of Napoleon's soldiers buried in Vilnius and indicate that these diseases might have been a major factor in the French retreat from Russia.
|
Auteur(s) |
Didier Raoult
1
, Olivier Dutour
2
, Rimantas Jankauskas
3
, L. Houhamdi
1
, Pierre-Edouard Fournier
1
, Yann Ardagna
2
, Michel Drancourt
1
, Michel Signoli
2
, V.-D. La
1
, Enguerran Macia
2
, Gérard Aboudharam
1
1
URPE -
Unité des Rickettsies et pathogènes émergents
( 800 )
- 27, Bvd Jean Moulin 13385 MARSEILLE CEDEX 05
- France
2
UAABC -
Anthropologie Bio-Culturelle
( 942 )
- Faculté de Médecine - Secteur Nord Batiment A - CS80011 Bd Pierre Dramard 13344 MARSEILLE Cedex 15 FRANCE
- France
3
Department of Anatomy, History and Anthropology
( 7348 )
- Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, (Vilniaus universiteto Medicinos fakulteto Anatomijos, histologijos ir antropologijos katedra), Ciurliono 21 Vilnius LT2009
- Lituanie
|
Comité de lecture |
Oui
|
Vulgarisation |
Non
|
Langue du document |
Anglais
|
Nom de la revue |
|
Titre de l'ouvrage |
The journal of infectious diseases
|
Audience |
Internationale
|
Date de publication |
2006
|
Volume |
193
|
Numéro |
1
|
Page/Identifiant |
112-120
|
Titre du congrès |
The journal of infectious diseases
|
Pays |
États-Unis
|
Commentaire |
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JID/journal/issues/v193n1/34959/34959.text.html
|
Domaine(s) |
|
Mots-clés |
en
Louse-bon infectious diseases, Napoleon's Grand Army, Vilnius, Lithuania
|
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