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Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons

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Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

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Full-Text Articles in Immunology and Infectious Disease

Archaeoparasitology, Karl J. Reinhard, Adauto Araújo Jan 2008

Archaeoparasitology, Karl J. Reinhard, Adauto Araújo

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Parasites are the major cause of ill health and early death in the world today. Malaria, sleeping sickness, amoebic dysentery, and hookworm infection are examples of commonplace parasitic diseases that are endemic in most parts of the world (see Health, Healing, and Disease). They were significant threats in prehistory, especially in cultures whose social complexity outstripped the development of effective sanitation, hygiene, and germ theory awareness.


Recovery Of Parasite Remains From Coprolites And Latrines: Aspects Of Paleoparasitological Technique, Karl J. Reinhard, Ulisses E. Confalonieri, Bernd Herrmann, Luiz F. Ferreira, Adauto J. G. De Araujo Jan 1986

Recovery Of Parasite Remains From Coprolites And Latrines: Aspects Of Paleoparasitological Technique, Karl J. Reinhard, Ulisses E. Confalonieri, Bernd Herrmann, Luiz F. Ferreira, Adauto J. G. De Araujo

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Standard techniques for the analysis of prehistoric soils have not been devised. It is unlikely that any single technique is applicable to all types of fecal remains. This is due to various environmental conditions which effect the preservation of helminth ova. In general, gravitational sedimentation is a useful technique for isolating helminth eggs and larvae from coprolites. Latrine soils pose greater problems for helminthological examination. Although various clinical techniques have been successfully utilized in soil study, it is important to remember that some latrine soils have not yielded helminth eggs to any clinical technique. Consequently the paleoparasitologist must be ready …