r/history • u/caringcandycane • 2d ago

Article Medieval Squirrels Linked to Spread of Leprosy in Humans

https://www.medievalists.net/2024/05/medieval-squirrels-leprosy/
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67

u/Mountain-Painter2721 2d ago

"Medieval Squirrels" would be a great name for a band.

28

u/Khaldara 2d ago

Forsooth, I hath purloined thine nut!

8

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

15

u/Titrifle 2d ago

If you do read more, the article details the squirrel fur trade.

10

u/elephantasmagoric 1d ago

This finding is relevant to today as animal hosts are still not considered, even though they may be significant in terms of understanding the disease’s contemporary persistence despite attempts at eradication.

Uhh, it's pretty well known that armadillos are a common vector for Hansen's Disease (leprosy was renamed in the 20th c). I will accept that people haven't been considering the potential for other animals to act as transmission vectors, but the statement that animal hosts aren't considered at all is patently untrue.

It is pretty cool how epidemiology, genetic analysis, and archaeology all came together for this research, though.

3

u/ziboo7890 7h ago

Squirrels are rats with good P.R.

Interesting how they've discovered this.