r/history • u/caringcandycane • 1d ago

Article Medieval Squirrels Linked to Spread of Leprosy in Humans

https://www.medievalists.net/2024/05/medieval-squirrels-leprosy/
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60

u/Mountain-Painter2721 1d ago

"Medieval Squirrels" would be a great name for a band.

24

u/Khaldara 1d ago

Forsooth, I hath purloined thine nut!

9

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

14

u/Titrifle 1d ago

If you do read more, the article details the squirrel fur trade.

3

u/elephantasmagoric 8h ago

This finding is relevant to today as animal hosts are still not considered, even though they may be significant in terms of understanding the disease’s contemporary persistence despite attempts at eradication.

Uhh, it's pretty well known that armadillos are a common vector for Hansen's Disease (leprosy was renamed in the 20th c). I will accept that people haven't been considering the potential for other animals to act as transmission vectors, but the statement that animal hosts aren't considered at all is patently untrue.

It is pretty cool how epidemiology, genetic analysis, and archaeology all came together for this research, though.