I read the paper below on epidemiology of tuberculosis:
Insertion element IS986 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a useful tool for
diagnosis and epidemiology oftuberculosis.
Hermans PW; van Soolingen D; Dale JW; Schuitema AR; McAdam RA; Catty D; van
Embden JD
Could elements like IS986 be used to study the geographic origin (Asian,
European) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis found in a 9th century mummy in
Peru. I tried without succes to find something on the topic in the
litterature.
It is perhaps a layman stupid question.
But it is difficult fo me to imagine that the Amerindians brougth the M.
tuberculosis with them through the Berhing more tha 10.000 years ago: this
Berhing and North America crossing seems a kind of selection against those
bearing it.
Jean-Pierre Herveg
