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Researchers have found the
bacterium (Helicobacter pylori) which is responsible for
ulcers--inside mummies discovered in northern Chile (by paleopathologists
Enrique Gerstzen and Marvin J. Allison of the Medical College of Virginia
in Richmond).
Originally, Dr. Pelayo Correa
(a stomach cancer specialist at the Louisiana State University Medical
Center) believed he would be able to find evidence of the bacterium inside
the mucosa lining the mummies' stomachs. However, it no longer existed. So
Pelayo resorted to Plan B: examining stool samples from the mummies'
intestines. Of the sixteen mummies' tested, nine showed evidence of the
bacterium.
Although the findings aren't
proof that these nine individuals (who died about 1,700 years ago) had
ulcers themselves, it shows that some ancient peoples most likely suffered
from gastritis (at a minimum) and ulcers, too (since both are caused by H.
pylori). Now scientists want to know if the same strain of the
bacterium is still found in people today.
By the way, the mummies were
members of the Cabuza tribe. (USA Today, 1/14/99) |
