The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia [Scholarly Article - Nature, June 2022]

Title:

The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia

 

Authors:

Maria A. Spyrou, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

Lyazzat Musralina, Kazakh National University by al-Farabi, Almaty, Kazakhstan & Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany & Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Guido A. Gnecchi Ruscone, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

Arthur Kocher, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

Pier-Giorgio Borbone, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Valeri I. Khartanovich, Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russian Federation

Alexandra Buzhilova, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation

Leyla Djansugurova, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Kirsten I. Bos, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

Denise Kühnert, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany & European Virus Bioinformatics Center (EVBC), Jena, Germany

Wolfgang Haak, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

Philip Slavin, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

& 

Johannes Krause, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany

 

Published:

Nature, 15 June 2022

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04800-3

 

Abstract:

The origin of the medieval Black Death pandemic (AD 1346–1353) has been a topic of continuous investigation because of the pandemic’s extensive demographic impact and long-lasting consequences1,2. Until now, the most debated archaeological evidence potentially associated with the pandemic’s initiation derives from cemeteries located near Lake Issyk-Kul of modern-day Kyrgyzstan1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. These sites are thought to have housed victims of a fourteenth-century epidemic as tombstone inscriptions directly dated to 1338–1339 state ‘pestilence’ as the cause of death for the buried individuals9. Here we report ancient DNA data from seven individuals exhumed from two of these cemeteries, Kara-Djigach and Burana. Our synthesis of archaeological, historical and ancient genomic data shows a clear involvement of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis in this epidemic event. Two reconstructed ancient Y. pestis genomes represent a single strain and are identified as the most recent common ancestor of a major diversification commonly associated with the pandemic’s emergence, here dated to the first half of the fourteenth century. Comparisons with present-day diversity from Y. pestis reservoirs in the extended Tian Shan region support a local emergence of the recovered ancient strain. Through multiple lines of evidence, our data support an early fourteenth-century source of the second plague pandemic in central Eurasia.

Black Death Mortality Wasn’t as Widespread as Everyone Thinks [Ancient Origins, February 2022]

Title:

Black Death Mortality Wasn’t as Widespread as Everyone Thinks  

 

Published: 

Ancient Origins, 13 February 2022 

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/black-death-mortality-0016413   

 

From the article: 

The Black Death (1347–1352 AD) is the most infamous pandemic in human history. Advances in ancient DNA research have enabled researchers to identify the bacterium behind this terrible historical event (Yersinia pestis), and traced its evolution over time, however there are still huge gaps in knowledge about the plague’s demographic impacts. For the most part researchers have had to rely on medieval written sources from some parts of Western Europe to gain insight on how deadly the Black Death was. Now, an international team of researchers have pioneered a novel approach to evaluate the scale of the Black Death’s mortality across Europe, with some surprising results.

 

medRxiv, 8 July 2020 (preprint) - Rapid Systematic Review Exploring Historical and Present Day National and International Governance during Pandemics

Title:
Rapid Systematic Review Exploring Historical and Present Day National and International Governance during Pandemics

Author:
Elizabeth Lowry, Henock Taddese & Leigh R Bowman

Published:
medRxiv, 8 July 2020
[Keep in mind that this article is a preprint and not yet peer reviewed.]
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.07.20148239v1

Abstract:
Introduction Pandemics have plagued mankind since records began, and while non-communicable disease pandemics are more common in high-income nations, infectious disease pandemics continue to affect all countries worldwide. To mitigate impact, national pandemic preparedness and response policies remain crucial. And in response to emerging pathogens of pandemic potential, public health policies must be both dynamic and adaptive. Yet, this process of policy change and adaptation remains opaque. Accordingly, this rapid systematic review will synthesise and analyse evaluative policy literature to develop a roadmap of policy changes that have occurred after each pandemic event, throughout both the 20th and 21st Century, in order to better inform future policy development. Methods and Analysis A rapid systematic review will be conducted to assimilate and synthesise both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature that document the then current pandemic preparedness policy, and the subsequent changes to that policy, across high-, middle- and low-income countries. The rapid review will follow the PRISMA guidelines, and the literature search will be performed across five relevant databases, as well as various government websites to scan for grey literature. Articles will be screen against pre-agreed inclusion/ exclusion criteria, and data will be extracted using a pre-defined charting table. Ethics and Dissemination All data rely on secondary, publicly available data sources; therefore no ethical clearance is required. Upon completion, the results of this study will be disseminated via the Imperial College London Community and published in an open access, peer-reviewed journal.

Talking about pandemics – what is ‘unprecedented’?

Title:
Talking about pandemics – what is ‘unprecedented’?

Author:
Janet Giddy

Published:
Daily Maverick, 9 June 2020
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-06-09-talking-about-pandemics-what-is-unprecedented/#gsc.tab=0

From the article:
Like many South African doctors of a certain age, I have had the experience of a personal and professional involvement in pandemics. After consulting a variety of sources, including family and friends, this is a reflection on how I have integrated my understanding of the TB, HIV and Covid-19 pandemics.

Free Book - The Black Death: A History From Beginning to End

Title of book:
The Black Death: A History From Beginning to End

Author:
Hourly History

Publication date:
16 February 2016

Focus:
Sweeping across the known world with unchecked devastation, the Black Death claimed between 75 million and 200 million lives in four short years. In this engaging and well-researched book, the trajectory of the plague’s march west across Eurasia and the cause of the great pandemic is thoroughly explored.

Free copy:
Get your free copy of this book from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BV9VJ62/ref=pe_385040_117923520_TE_M1DP