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Palaeopathogenomics

Leprosy in the Americas before Columbus

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 9, pages 1550–1551 (2025)Cite this article

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Mycobacterium lepromatosis genomes associated with 4,000-year-old human skeletons in Chile establish an American origin for this causal agent of leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease), and point to different evolutionary trajectories and transmission pathways for M. lepromatosis and its sister pathogen Mycobacterium leprae.

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Fig. 1: Potential zoonotic reservoirs for M. lepromatosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK

    Charlotte A. Roberts

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  1. Charlotte A. Roberts
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Correspondence to Charlotte A. Roberts.

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Roberts, C.A. Leprosy in the Americas before Columbus. Nat Ecol Evol 9, 1550–1551 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02790-9

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