Napoleonic Campaign's Disease Discovery

Nicolás Rascovan of Institut Pasteur reported ancient DNA from Napoleonic soldiers' teeth in Current Biology.
Napoleon's 1812 campaign into Moscow had 615,000 soldiers, with 110,000 surviving due to disease.
DNA analysis of 13 soldiers' teeth found Salmonella enterica in 4 and Borrelia recurrentis in 2.
Study disputes earlier PCR findings linking typhus to remains, finding no Rickettsia prowazekii or Bartonella quintana.
Research helps trace pathogen evolution but notes limited sample size.
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