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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
Isolation of Neonatal Extrahepatic Cholangiocytes
Published on: June 5, 2014
Evidence of ascariasis in a Celtic newborn from northern Italy
Ramón López-Gijón1,2,3, Wolf-Rüdiger Teegen4,5, Zita Laffranchi6,7
1Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Medicina, Laboratorio de Antropología, Granada, Spain.
Background:
Infections with Ascaris lumbricoides can be traced back to the late Pleistocene by palaeoparasitological analysis. Even today, Ascaris infections are still very common worldwide.
Objectives:
In a pilot study, soil samples from the pelvic area of ten individuals from the Celtic necropolis of Povegliano Veronese (northern Italy) were examined using palaeoparasitological methods. The burials date from the 3rd to 1st century Before the Common Era (BCE).
Methods:
The palaeoparasitological methods already proven in earlier studies were applied.
Findings:
Positive evidence of Ascaris eggs was obtained in three individuals, including a newborn. This neonate is the focus of the article. The causes of a possible Ascaris infection in a newborn are discussed.
Main Conclusions:
It may represent the oldest documented instance of ascariasis in a neonatal individual.
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