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Popular Archaeology For the first time, a new testing method confirms the active presence of a pathogen before the death of a person who lived 500 years ago. Found high in the Andes mountains, the 500-year-old ancient mummy remains of a young girl show evidence of a serious lung infection before she died. The Inca mummy, known as "The Maiden", was first recovered from a site located at 22,000 feet above sea level in 1999. Now, a research team led by Angelique Corthals of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, used a new technique called proteomics, which focuses on protein rather than DNA remains, and profiled the immune system response found in samples taken from 500 year-old Andean Inca mummies. They did this by swabbing the lips of two mummies and compared the proteins they found to large databases of the human genome. They found that the protein profile from the "Maiden" was similar to that of patients who suffered from chronic respiratory infection. The related DNA analysis also showed the presence of Mycobacterium, which is considered responsible for upper respiratory tract infections and tuberculosis. What is more, X-rays of the Maiden's lungs revealed evidence of a lung infection at the time of her death. The same treatment of a second mummy found in the same context as the Maiden, by comparison, showed no evidence of respiratory infection. Detecting diseases in ancient remains through the traditional DNA microbe analysis technique is often problematic because of the effects of contamination from other substances and sources in the environment on the specimen being examined or tested. In addition, they can only reveal that pathogens were present, not that the organism was infected. "Pathogen detection in ancient tissues isn't new, but until now it's been impossible to say whether the infectious agent was latent or active," says Corthals. "Our technique opens a new door to solving some of history's biggest mysteries, such as the reasons why the flu of 1918 was so devastating. It will also enhance our understanding of our future's greatest threats, such as the emergence of new infectious agents or re-emergence of known infectious diseases."
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