Archaeological occurrences and historical review of the human amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica, over the past 6000 years

- This article reviews past occurrences of the human pathogenic amoeba.
- The parasite has been present in Western Europe since the Neolithic period.
- The amoeba is recovered prior to the 15th c. CE colonization of the Americas.
- Human migrations contribute to diffusing the parasites during the Holocene.

Understanding parasite history and the evolution of host/parasite relationships is one of the most important aspects of paleoparasitology. Within the framework of this research topic, this paper focuses on the human pathogenic amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica. The compilation of all the available archaeological data concerning this parasite leads to a first glimpse of the history of this parasite of current medical importance. Paleoparasitological investigation into this parasite uses immunological techniques and shows that the modern strain of E. histolytica has been present in Western Europe since at least the Neolithic period (3700 years BCE), and could have originated in the Old World. The appearance of the modern amoeba strain in the pre-Columbian Americas and the Middle East around the 12th century CE gives rise to hypotheses as to how human migrations (Atlantic or Pacific routes) contributed to the diffusion of this pathogen, resulting in its current distribution. This compilation proves that parasites are valuable proxies for studying past human and animal migrations, and should be given more consideration in the future.