Researchers believe that pathogens present on mummies are unlikely to survive for long periods and infect humans.
Studies indicate that ancient Egyptians suffered from various infectious diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis, and leprosy, according to Live Science. For example, Ramesses V, the fourth pharaoh of the 20th dynasty of Egypt, contracted smallpox, evidenced by the scars covering his mummy. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared smallpox eradicated worldwide in 1980, could newly excavated mummies still transmit diseases from the deceased?
The mummy of King Ramesses V bears numerous smallpox scars. (Photo: Egyptian Museum).
Piers Mitchell, director of the Ancient Parasitology Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and research assistant in the Department of Archaeology, stated that the likelihood of this occurring is extremely low. “Most parasites die within 1 to 2 years without a living host to cling to. If you wait more than 10 years, they will all be dead,” Mitchell said.
For instance, the poxvirus group, such as smallpox, can only reproduce within the cells of a host, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The bacteria causing tuberculosis and leprosy also require a living host to survive. However, smallpox spreads through direct human contact, while tuberculosis and leprosy are transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth, such as when sneezing or coughing. In the case of leprosy, prolonged contact with an infected person is necessary for the bacteria to spread. This is because the two species of pathogenic bacteria, Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis, multiply very slowly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another factor reducing the likelihood of disease transmission from mummies is the degradation of DNA over time. “When analyzing, you can see that every fragment of DNA from these parasites is quite short,” Mitchell explained. “Instead of healthy long DNA strands, they only have about 50 to 100 base pairs. This is due to DNA degradation and fragmentation. There is no way for an organism to survive when its DNA is broken down.”
However, some types of intestinal parasitic worms, which spread through feces, can survive longer than other microorganisms and do not all require a living host to exist. But they are not a significant threat. According to Mitchell, they can persist for several months, sometimes a few years, but none can survive for thousands of years. Even if an ancient organism were to have a chance of survival, masks, gloves, and protective gear would shield researchers from infection by pathogens from the mummies.
