Skeletal analysis shows the oldest strains of the disease came from Europe, the oldest from Greater Chesterford, Essex circa 500ADLeprosy may have originated in Europe rather than Asia, according to the largest study to date on ancestral strains of the disease. The study has revealed that more leprosy strains than expected were present in medieval Europe, prompting scientists to reconsider the origins and age of the devastating disease. “This latest research shows all the strains of the leprosy bacterium, were in fact present in medieval Europe, which strongly suggests leprosy originated much closer to home, possibly in the far south east of Europe, or western Asia.”Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded and most stigmatised diseases in human history. From the fragments they reconstructed 10 new genomes - complete genetic codes - of medieval Mycobacterium leprae, the bacteria that causes leprosy. Previously only one or two strains were known to have been circulating in medieval Europe and newly discovered diversity suggests the disease must be at least a few thousand years old.

Source: The Guardian May 10, 2018 18:00 UTC