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Leprosy existed in America long before arrival of Europeans

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Abstract

Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent. Scientists reveal that a recently identified second species of bacteria responsible for leprosy, Mycobacterium lepromatosis, has been infecting humans in the Americas for at least 1,000 years, several centuries before the Europeans arrived.
Key Data

  • Publication Date
    29 May 2025
  • Primary Author
    Institut Pasteur
  • Source
    Science Daily
  • Language
    English
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