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PALEOEPIDEMIOLOGY OF DIPHYLLOBOTHRIOSIS: CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING ADENOCEPHALUS INTENSITY AND
Karl J Reinhard1, Bernardo Arriaza2, William Alexander Avery3
1Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, W 529 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588.
The Journal of Parasitology
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Ancient Peruvian and Chilean mummies reveal varying fish tapeworm (Adenocephalus pacificus) infections. Parasite prevalence differed significantly between Chinchorro and Chiribaya populations, influenced by environmental and dietary factors.
Area of Science:
- Paleoparasitology
- Archaeology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Background:
- Ancient human remains (mummies) and fecal samples (coprolites) offer insights into past health and disease.
- The fish tapeworm, Adenocephalus pacificus, is a significant parasite with potential for archaeoparasitological investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the prevalence and variation of Adenocephalus pacificus infections in ancient Peruvian and Chilean populations.
- To investigate the factors influencing infection rates, including subsistence strategies, environmental changes, and dietary practices.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of parasitic helminth eggs in mummies and coprolites from Chinchorro and Chiribaya archaeological sites in Peru and Chile.
- Statistical comparison of infection prevalence across different cultural groups and geographical locations.
- Correlation of parasitological data with known environmental events (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation) and inferred subsistence patterns.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in Adenocephalus pacificus prevalence were observed between the Chinchorro (hunter-gatherer) and Chiribaya (mixed-subsistence) cultural contexts.
- Intra-group variations in infection prevalence were noted, linked to specific cemetery sites within Chinchorro populations and village-level differences in fish consumption and preparation among Chiribaya.
- El Niño-Southern Oscillation variations may have influenced Chinchorro infection rates, while fish availability and preparation methods impacted Chiribaya prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Ancient parasitological data from mummies and coprolites are valuable for understanding population health and disease dynamics.
- Infection patterns of Adenocephalus pacificus were shaped by a complex interplay of subsistence, environment, and cultural practices in ancient Peru and Chile.
- Archaeoparasitology provides a powerful lens for reconstructing past human-environment interactions and disease ecology.
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