Clara Luise Behrendt
Masterthesis
Title: PCR-based Detection of Different Pathogens Associated with Historical Typhoid Fever of Skeletal Material of Napoleonic SoldiersUntil the early 20th century, infectious diseases were a leading cause of death globally. Historically, diseases were diagnosed based solely on symptoms, which made the identification of causative agents challenging. The historical diagnosis "typhoid fever" referred to various illnesses accompanied by severe fevers and neurological deficits, until multiple pathogens causing "nervous fever" were identified in 1847. The modern infectious diseases related to historical typhoid fever include Typhus abdominalis (S. typhi), paratyphoid fever (S. paratyphi), epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii), and trench fever (B. quitana).
The detection of these pathogens in skeletal remains by PCR has been challenging. Consequently, the objective of my thesis is to enhance and develop a PCR-based analysis system based on the established system by v. Grumbkow (2011, 2013) and Schröder (2013) for typhoid fever and related pathogens. The enhanced system will be applied to DNA samples of Napoleonic soldiers from a mass grave in Rödelheim, Germany. According to historical sources, the soldiers returned from Russia in 1812 in a weakened state and presumably suffered from "nervous fever," which ultimately led to their demise. Further information about the infectious diseases of the individuals could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of their cause of death.