The dog mummy, the ticks and the louse fly: Archaeological report of severe ectoparasitosis in Ancient Egypt

•The first archaeological case of dog ectoparasitosis in Ancient Egypt is presented.•Two blood sucking ectoparasites were recovered from a mummified Roman dog.•The brown dog tick and the louse fly are potential vectors of several pathogens.

The authors report the first archaeological case of dog ectoparasitosis in Ancient Egypt. The study of a mummified young dog dated to the Roman period suggests a significant infestation by two blood sucking ectoparasites, respectively the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille, 1806 (Acari: Ixodidae), the louse fly Hippobosca longipennis Fabricius, 1805 (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) as well as puparia of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae), a potential source of myiasis. All of these species are known to be potential vectors of different pathogens which may be responsible for the premature death of the dog.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide