Detection of Vibrio cholerae aDNA in human burials from the fifth cholera pandemic in Argentina (1886–1887 AD)

RAMIREZ, DARÍO ALEJANDRO; SAKA, HÉCTOR ALEX; NORES, RODRIGO

International Journal of Paleopathology

Elsevier Inc.

Año: 2021 vol. 32 p. 74 - 74

1879-9817

bjective: Detecting traces of ancient DNA of Vibrio cholerae to provide genetic information associated with the fifth cholera pandemic. Materials: Sediment samples from the sacral foramina of four individuals were analyzed, recovered from a mass grave near an institution dedicated exclusively to the isolation and treatment of citizens infected with cholera in the late 19th century in the city of Cordoba, Argentina. Methods: Paleogenetic techniques (ancient DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and Sanger sequencing) were applied. Specific primers for Vibrio cholerae (VCR, ctxA, ctxB, and tcpA) were designed. Results: By amplifying and sequencing the Vibrio cholerae repeats fragment, the infection in at least one individual was confirmed. Conclusions: The synthesis of the paleogenetic results with the archaeological and historical evidence strongly supports that at least one individual from the mass grave in Cordoba, Argentina, was a victim of the fifth cholera pandemic. Significance: Con