OLD SKELETAL BRUCELLOSIS IN WESTERN-EUROPE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTIES

Abstract

Brucellosis is a well known zoonosis transmitted to humans through consumption of raw milk ors in related products. Interhuman transmission is rare. Osteoarticular involvement of brucellosis is not uncommon. The mean averages are around 10% in the Brucella mellitensis and Brucella abortus, so the more severe complications are due to B. mellitensis. Actual prevalence in West European counties is rather scarce but it has not always been as such.

We presented 6 cases of bone affection (all of this focused on the lumbar zone) due to brucellosis recovered from the different burial and different times that was studied morphologically and then verified with molecular analysis. The most ancient case is a vertebral spondylitis from the Calcholitic of Alava (Basque County), the second belongs to a vertebral involvement from the Late-Roman period of the Alicante (5th to 7th century), three other cases were found in different burials (Alava and Sevilla) dated from the High Medieval epoch and the Islamic Medieval period (in the case of Sevilla), the last one is the most bizarre as it is a carpal fusion and vertebral spondylitis from the Medieval cemetery of Monte d’Argento (Fondi, Rome) dated in the 12th century. The actual rates of wrist affection by Brucellosis are over 3.5%. On all the pieces accurate analyses of ancient DNA of Brucella mellitensis were performed.