4000-year-old Disease Uncovered By The University Of Otago
4000-year-old Disease Uncovered By The University Of Otago
Recent bioarcheological research has revealed how diseases spread rapidly among the human race as far back as 4000 years ago and the potential risk involved when such conditions linger on. This research is of significant bearing on how to tackle the present global pandemic, COVID-19.
The research was carried out by a doctorate student at the University of Otago, Melandri Vlok. Ms. Vlok studied the spread of highly infectious childhood diseases during her study.
Yaws cause contagious skin lesions that spread at a fast rate through body touch. The disease, when left untreated, can result in irreversible bone and cartilage disfigurements. Yaws still prevail in the Western Pacific even though it is no longer a pandemic. Attempts at eradicating it from the world before now have not been successful, with the present global Coronavirus pandemic further hampering eradication efforts.
Ms. Vlok used archaeological evidence from the skeletal remains of the Man Bac archaeological site, Ninh Bình Province, in Vietnam. In her findings, she highlights how diseases spread among different races of the human populace during first time social interactions.
The skeletal remains were not examined for Yaws until Professor Hallie Buckley, who happens to be Ms. Vlok's supervisor, believed she saw signs of the disease in the photographs taken of the remains. Professor Hallie and Ms. Vlok traveled to the Man Bac archaeological site in 2018 to carry out further examinations on the remains, alongside Vietnamese archaeological experts.
After confirmation was made, Ms. Vlok herself discovered a second case of yaws among the archaeological remains. These findings are relevant at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic because the Man Bac archaeological site was found in Vietnam over 4000 years ago.
According to Vlok's research, which focused on what she termed the "friction zone," cases of yaws became prevalent in Vietnam during the movement of farmers from China into Vietnam. The "friction zone" occurred when these farmers of African descent introduced their farming culture of over 9000 years to the Vietnamese people roughly 4000 years ago. This movement and mingling of the farmers from China with the Vietnamese hunters are believed to be the possible means by which yaws entered the country in the modern era.
With the number of years that yaws have prevailed in Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region in general, this is enough evidence to prove that pandemics are very hard to eradicate, according to Vlok.
As the world continues in its research into how to deal with the present global coronavirus pandemic completely, Vlok believes that learning from the past is essential. She believes that the archeological findings show how humans have evolved and adapted to previous diseases like yaws and why they were challenging to eradicate globally. Early intervention, according to Ms. Vlok, is of paramount importance if the world does not want diseases to spread like wildfire globally before they adapt to the human race and spread faster.
Written by intellized for As It Matters.com
