700-Year-Old Mummy’s Tooth Reveals Earliest Scarlet Fever Evidence in the Americas

Scientists have confirmed the presence of the bacterium that causes scarlet fever in a 700-year-old mummy from Bolivia, providing the earliest evidence of Streptococcus pyogenes in the Americas prior to European contact.

The discovery was made through DNA analysis of a tooth from a mummified individual found in a chullpa, a type of ancient funeral tower, on the Bolivian Altiplano. The remains belonged to a male who lived between 1283 and 1383 CE, centuries before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492.

Researchers from Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Italy conducted the analysis, which revealed the presence of group A strep, the bacterium responsible for both strep throat and scarlet fever. This marks the first time the pathogen has been identified in archaeological remains.

Frank Maixner, director of the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies and co-author of the study published in Nature Communications, explained that the team was not initially searching for this pathogen. Instead, they conducted an open-minded genetic analysis of the mummy, examining both human and microbial DNA present in the remains.

The ancient strain of Streptococcus pyogenes detected in the mummy closely resembles modern strains that cause throat infections. Genetic analysis indicates it diverged from related strains approximately 10,000 years ago.

This finding challenges the long-held assumption that scarlet fever was introduced to the Americas by European colonists. Instead, it suggests the bacterium was already circulating among Indigenous populations in the pre-Columbian era.

Additional genomic evidence indicates that Streptococcus pyogenes may have been present in Europe and Africa as early as 4,000 years ago, with Siberia potentially serving as a pathway for its broader distribution across human populations.

The study highlights the value of examining ancient microbial DNA to understand the historical spread and evolution of infectious diseases. By analyzing pathogens in historical remains, researchers can gain insights into disease origins that are not accessible through modern samples alone.

As research into ancient pathogens continues, such discoveries may reshape understanding of how diseases traveled with human migrations and adapted over millennia, offering a deeper perspective on the shared history of humans and microbes.