Microscopic Evidence of Malaria Infection in Visceral Tissue from Medici Family, Italy

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 1280 - 1283
• Main Authors: Maixner, Frank, Drescher, Dennis, Boccalini, Giulia, Piombino-Mascali, Dario, Janko, Marek, Berens-Riha, Nicole, Kim, Bum Jin, Gamble, Michelle, Schatterny, Jolanthe, Morty, Rory E, Ludwig, Melanie, Krause-Kyora, Ben, Stark, Robert, An, Hyun Joo, Neumann, Jens, Cipollini, Giovanna, Grimm, Rudolf, Kilian, Nicole, Zink, Albert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.06.2023; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: atomic force microscopy; Blood vessels; Causes of; Cytoplasm; Human remains; Humans; immunohistochemistry; Italy - epidemiology; Malaria; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria, Falciparum - epidemiology; Medical research; Medici; Medici family; Medicine, Experimental; Microscopic Evidence of Malaria Infection in Visceral Tissue from Medici Family, Italy; Microscopy; Microscopy - methods; Mummies; Parasites; Plasmodium falciparum; Proteins; Research Letter; Italy; Oregon; United States > US; Germany; Medici; Plasmodium falciparum; vector-borne infections; Italy; parasites; zoonoses; immunohistochemistry; atomic force microscopy; malaria
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2906.230134

Microscopy of mummified visceral tissue from a Medici family member in Italy identified a potential blood vessel containing erythrocytes. Giemsa staining, atomic force microscopy, and immunohistochemistry confirmed Plasmodium falciparum inside those erythrocytes. Our results indicate an ancient Mediterranean presence of P. falciparum, which remains responsible for most malaria deaths in Africa.