Ancient Mycobacterium lepromatosis genomes from the Americas

Mycobacterium lepromatosis is a recently identified cause of Hansen's Disease, and is associated with the more severe and potentially lethal presentations of diffuse lepromatous leprosy (DLL) and Lucio's phenomenon (LP). Detection of this infection has been limited to a small number of clinical cases, leaving much to be learned about its global distribution and transmissibility. Its discovery in wild rodent populations in the United Kingdom also raises questions about its zoonotic potential. Here we raise further awareness of this disease through its genomic characterization in 4000-year-old human skeletal remains from Chile. Through this we demonstrate its long history in the Americas, which offers relevant perspectives on its evolution while providing an incentive for further disease monitoring in both humans and other potential reservoir species.