By studying the skeleton of this medieval pilgrim, researchers have been able to genotype the disease, according to a study published Thursday in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. They also discovered that leprosy-causing bacteria have changed little over hundreds of years, possibly explaining the decline in the disease after it peaked in medieval Europe as humans developed resistance. By studying the cemetery of the hospital, the earliest-dated leprosy hospital in western Europe, this eight-year project looks at the wider relationship between leprosy, medieval pilgrimage and disease transmission. The burial site of a skeleton known as Sk27, a Medieval pilgrim, shows he was buried with a scallop shell. Religious pilgrimages to sites in medieval Europe were at their peak during the 12th century, when an estimated 5,000 pilgrims a day visited Santiago.

Source: CNN January 26, 2017 18:56 UTC