Using ancient-DNA analysis, researchers have identified the presence of Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A strep, in a 700-year-old mummy from Bolivia, confirming that strep infections were present in the Americas prior to European exploration. The strain of strep discovered in the mummy is similar to modern ones that can cause strep throat and scarlet fever.
This is the first time group A strep has been identified in archaeological remains, the researchers said.
