A new study from the University of Cambridge, published in the journal Advances in Parasitology, shows that ancient Egypt and Nubia had markedly different levels and types of parasitic disease compared to neighbouring ancient civilisations due to the geography of the Nile Valley. Using meta-analysis (combining the results of multiple studies on mummy tissue), the team found that 65% of mummies analysed were positive for schistosomiasis, 40% for head lice, 22% for malaria, and 10% for leishmaniasis (‘black fever’). While the regular inundation of the Nile meant that human faecal matter was not needed to fertilise fields (so Egyptians and Nubians were at less risk of disease spread by poor sanitation compared to other regions), the Nile itself played a pivotal role in the spread of insect-borne infections such as malaria, and diseases caused by parasitic worms such as schistosomiasis – diseases not usually present in arid regions.
Text: Sarah Griffiths