The Lung Florida Lung Doctors have recently discovered some fascinating research concerning a lung disease patient who died 500 years ago. In fact, she was a mummy before she was even examined.

Known as “the maiden,” her actual  cause of death was human sacrifice, which was discovered when she was found in 1999. (Click here to learn more about that part of her story.) What interested 2012 New York scientists about the case was the condition of her health at the time of her sacrificial death, 500 years ago.

Researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, under the leadership of Angelique Corthals, pioneered a new technique to study evidence of lung disease present in the ancient Incan mummy.

“Detecting diseases in ancient remains is often fraught with difficulty, especially because of contamination.” You can clear here for more scientific description. The traditional techniques for studying an ancient and mysterious disease involve tracing microbe DNA.

Such studies can only confirm that a certain, identified pathogen was present at the scene of the death, not that the patient was even infected.

To clarify the “Maiden’s” health issues, Angelique Corthals chose a new approach, the molecular science of “proteomics.” It focuses on protein rather than DNA remains.  The key to the “Mainden’s” secret was on her lips, from which the scientists to scrapings for their microscopic examination.

This technique allowed her team to “profile immune system response from degraded samples taken from 500 year-old mummies.”

In their study, they proved that the protein profile from the mummy of a 15-year old girl, called “The Maiden,” was quite similar to that of chronic, modern respiratory infection patients. Deep analysis of the DNA revealed the pathogenic bacteria that took her young life. It was from the genus Mycobacterium, which causes upper respiratory tract infections as well as tuberculosis.

More evidence was found by X-rays, which revealed lung infection was definitely present when she died. Corthals declared, “Pathogen detection in ancient tissues isn’t new, but until now it’s been impossible to say whether the infectious agent was latent or active.”

She added, “Our technique opens a new door to solving some of history’s biggest mysteries, such as the reasons why the flu of 1918 was so devastating.”

Now researchers have been given a new tool, protemics, to examine health threats of the future as well as the past. Protemics will be used to study “newly emerging infectious agents, as well as the re-emergence of known infectious diseases.” (You can read more about the Incan mummies by clicking here.)

Thus, we have a new tool for discovering which pathogen is responsible for “deaths in cases of multiple infections.”

Summer is winding down, and we face the inevitable flu seasons of the cooler months ahead, so it’s good to know research scientists are using the illnesses of the past to develop cures for the diseases of the future. Chances are that flu of 2012-2013 won’t be a killer disease like the one of 1918, nor the serious lung infection that the Incan Maiden endured. Just the same, the Florida Lung Doctors believe we should be prepared.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) lists three big steps to take concerning the coming influenza season:

1. Take your flu vaccine, especially if you are in the a risk group.

2. Take the common sense precautions: Wash your hands regularly, or use the anti-bacterial hand-rub. Use tissue for coughs and sneezes. Try not to be around people who have the flu.

3. If your doctor prescribes anti-viral medicines, take your prescription-all of it.

Click here for more details about flu prevention. We thank you for visiting our blog, and we hope you will share our information with your social network.