新研究发现1812年拿破仑军队覆灭或因两种传染病

Core Findings - The recent study by the Pasteur Institute suggests that the near-total destruction of Napoleon's army during the 1812 invasion of Russia was likely caused by typhoid and relapsing fever, rather than the commonly believed typhus [1] - Historical accounts had previously attributed the army's defeat to typhus, supported by the discovery of body lice and DNA of Rickettsia prowazekii, the pathogen responsible for typhus [1] Research Methodology - Researchers extracted DNA from the teeth of 13 soldiers found in a mass grave in Vilnius, Lithuania, to identify bacterial pathogens [1] - The study did not find evidence of typhus pathogens but did identify traces of Salmonella enterica, which causes typhoid, and Borrelia recurrentis, which causes relapsing fever [1] Technological Advancements - The new findings are attributed to advancements in sequencing technology, which allows for the capture of a broader range of DNA sources from highly degraded ancient DNA [2]