Toilets in ancient Jerusalem linked to deadly disease.

Analysis of poop samples from 2,500-year-old latrines in Jerusalem revealed traces of dysentery-causing parasites, including the earliest known evidence of Giardia duodenalis. The toilets belonged to elite households in the city during the Iron Age, and the findings suggest that dysentery was a big problem in early cities of the ancient Near East due to over-crowding, heat, flies, and limited water available in the summer. The discovery sheds light on the health of people in ancient times and the spread of disease in early settlements.