DNA analysis uncovers pathogens that doomed Napoleon’s 1812 army

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Source: Phys.org
DNA analysis uncovers pathogens that doomed Napoleon’s 1812 army
Photo: Phys.org
TL;DR

A study analyzing DNA from Napoleon's 1812 army soldiers' teeth revealed that enteric fever and relapsing fever, caused by Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis respectively, likely contributed to their demise, challenging previous assumptions that typhus was the main cause.

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