Could Salmonella, a pathogen commonly associated with food poisoning, have been partially responsible for a 16th century epidemic that killed millions of Aztecs?

Caitlin Pepperell, MD, assistant professor, Infectious Disease, provided her perspective on work by scientists in Germany, Mexico, and Harvard University that investigated ancient DNA in an effort to identify what caused a deadly outbreak among Aztecs from 1545 to 1550. 

Between five and 15 million people died during that time in an epidemic referred to as "cocoliztli." 

By analyzing DNA embedded in teeth from the remains of 24 humans, researchers found that Salmonella enterica subset Paratyphi C in 10 of 24 people buried at the only known burial site associated with cocoliztli. 

Dr. Pepperell, who was not involved in the study, expressed skepticism that a single pathogen caused this level of death. 

"From a gut instinct I would suspect there were multiple agents involved in that epidemic," she said.

Colonization could have contributed to the epidemic in many ways, she cautioned, such as causing "disruptions in food supplies, famine, changes in the concentrations of populations, and relocation."

Resources:

• "What Wiped Out the Aztecs? Scientists Find New Clues," National Geographic, January 16, 2018