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Paleoparasitology of Helminths

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Helminth Infections and their Impact on Global Public Health

Abstract

The paleoparasitology is an important branch of the paleopathology, which is the discipline that studies past diseases from ancient human remains, both skeletal and mummified. This topic is crucial for understanding the lifestyle of the past in terms of hygiene conditions, sanitary measures, and nutrition.

A central role is certainly played by the study of the helminths; in fact, evidences of human ancient parasitism are largely recorded around the world, from prehistory to present age, through the analysis of the coprolites, latrine soils, and mummified remains.

The purpose of the chapter is to illustrate the most significant paleoparasitological findings in the four continents and in various periods, thus showing the wide spread of the whole classes of the helminths (trematodes, cestodes, nematodes).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research and of New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Raffaele Gaeta

  2. School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage, Department of Civilisations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Gino Fornaciari

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  2. Gino Fornaciari
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Correspondence to Raffaele Gaeta .

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  1. Department of Translational Research, N.T.M.S., Università di Pisa, Medical School, Pisa, Italy

    Fabrizio Bruschi

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Gaeta, R., Fornaciari, G. (2022). Paleoparasitology of Helminths. In: Bruschi, F. (eds) Helminth Infections and their Impact on Global Public Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-00303-5_3

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