Immunological evidence of Plasmodium falciparum infection in an Egyptian child mummy the Early Dinastic Period

A 15_18 months old child mummy, presently housed in Turin’s Museum of Anthropology, was discovered in Gebelein (Upper Egypt) during excavations carried out by the Missione Archeologica Italiana, most likely in 1914. Atomic Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon dating indicated that the mummy belongs to the end of the Early Dynastic Period - beginning of the Old Kingdom. Whole body spiral CT scan and 3D reconstructions did not show evidence of congenital malformations or fractures. Immunochromatographic and immunohistochemical analyses on skin and muscle samples were positive for Plasmodium falciparum malaria and for Plasmodium spp. malaria. Our data provide clear evidence for the presence of P. falciparum infection in the sample we examined and show the usefulness of the immunological investigations for the detection of malaria in ancient human remains.