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Intestinal Parasites in an Ottoman Period Latrine from Acre (Israel) Dating to the Early 1800s CE.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Eskew, William H 
Ledger, Marissa L 
Lloyd, Abigail 
Pyles, Grace 
Gosker, Joppe 

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the species of parasites that affected the inhabitants of the city of Acre on the coast of the eastern Mediterranean during the Ottoman Period. This is the first archaeological study of parasites in the Ottoman Empire. We analysed sediment from a latrine dating to the early 1800s for the presence of helminth eggs and protozoan parasites which caused dysentery. The samples were examined using light microscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. We found evidence for roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), fish tapeworm (Dibothriocephalus sp.), Taenia tapeworm (Taenia sp.), lancet liver fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum), and the protozoa Giardia duodenalis and Entamoeba histolytica. The parasite taxa recovered demonstrate the breadth of species present in this coastal city. We consider the effect of Ottoman Period diet, culture, trade and sanitation upon risk of parasitism in this community living 200 years ago.

Description

Keywords

Protozoa, ELISA, Helminth, Dysentery, Mediterranean, Paleoparasitology, Ottoman Empire

Journal Title

The Korean journal of parasitology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0023-4001

Volume Title

57

Publisher