Did the Medici family's hunting grounds lead to their demise?
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Livescience.com
A new study suggests that members of the powerful Medici family may have died from malaria, possibly contracted from mosquitos in their hunting grounds. Researchers found evidence of the malaria parasite in tissue samples from organs interred in the family tomb, making the first observation of a parasite from that time in history that remains structurally intact. The parasite was identified as Plasmodium falciparum, which is more deadly than the endemic malaria species previously assumed to be in the region. The study provides more conclusive evidence of malaria among the Medicis and suggests that the more virulent type of malaria survived in the temperate Italian climate.