Medieval residents of Winchester, England, probably got their leprosy from red squirrels in the area, according to a team of archaeologists and geneticists that studied remains from two archaeological sites in the city.
New research may change the narrative over how mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has become a human problem. Researchers found evidence that strains of the virus have been circulating between humans since at least 2016, years before it caused a surprise global epidemic in 2022. Though reported cases of the viral…
Doctors in Florida are sounding caution about one of the world’s oldest known ailments, leprosy. In a recent report, they detail a local case of the bacterial disease with no recent travel history or other clear risk factors. The case and others suggest that leprosy is spreading routinely in Central Florida and has…
A man in the UK has become a medical first, though not in a great way. In a recent paper, scientists say he’s the first known person to have caught a newly discovered bacteria from a stray cat’s bite. Though the feline encounter resulted in a gnarly infection of his hands, the man was eventually treated successfully…