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Genetic Study in Current Biology Links Red Squirrels to Medieval English Leprosy

May 3, 2024, 03:41 PM

Recent studies have revealed that red squirrels were likely a source of leprosy in medieval England, with genetic analysis showing that the disease was transmitted between humans and these animals. The findings, published in Current Biology, indicate that the squirrels carried a strain of the leprosy-causing bacterium very similar to that found in humans during the same period. This discovery underscores one of the earliest known instances of a disease transferring between humans and animals, highlighting the close interactions between people and red squirrels during medieval times. The study was detailed by researchers including Sarah A. Inskip and Verena J. Schuenemann in Current Biology, as reported by Katherine J. Wu.