@article{PAR00013943,
  title = {{P}aleomicrobiology of {B}artonella infections},
  author = {{F}ournier, {P}. {E}. and {D}rancourt, {M}. and {A}boudharam, {G}. and {R}aoult, {D}idier},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{S}tudying ancient infectious diseases is a challenge, as written contemporary descriptions, when available, are often imprecise and do not allow for accurate discrimination among the pathogens endemic at that time. {P}aleomicrobiology offers a unique access to the history of these infections by identifying precisely the causative agents. {B}ody louse-transmitted infections are amongst the most epidemic diseases in history, especially in war and famine periods. {O}f these, {B}artonella quintana was detected by suicide {PCR} in 4000-year-old human remains, thus representing the oldest evidence to date of an arthropod-transmitted infection to human beings. {T}his species has also been detected in human specimens from the 11th to 15th, 18th and 19th centuries. {I}n addition, {B}artonella henselae, a cat-and flea-associated pathogen, was detected in cat specimens from the 13th to 18th centuries, therefore demonstrating an association of the bacterium and its reservoir for over 800 years. {T}herefore, pathogenic {B}artonella species have been involved in several outbreaks in the past millennia and should systematically be investigated in human remains from suspected epidemics.},
  keywords = {{B}artonella henselae ; {B}artonella quintana ; {B}artonella bacilliformis ; {C}at scratch disease ; {T}rench fever ; {C}arrion's disease ; {PCR} ; {P}aleomicrobiology},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}icrobes and {I}nfection},
  volume = {17},
  numero = {11-12},
  pages = {879--883},
  ISSN = {1286-4579},
  year = {2015},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.micinf.2015.09.002},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00013943},
}