![]() ![]() Scientists are developing better tests, but those currently available are clunky and take weeks. With a mild case, a patient might not go to the doctor. However, experts believe low rates are due to underdiagnosis. The more leptospira that initially invade the bloodstream (possibly via direct contact with berries), the more likely the disease is to be fatal. Although modern research suggests that cranberries can be a potent antimicrobial, that might not have been enough to slay the spirochete. There is some evidence that cranberries were also used medicinally-raw, ground into a poultice, and applied to open wounds. Wampanoag have long had seasonal feasts of thanksgiving, one of which celebrates the cranberry harvest. And they likely spent time hand-picking wild cranberries from bogs on Cape Cod. The Wampanoag gathered sharp-edged clams, skinned pelts from beaver and deer, canoed through streams, and were much fonder of bathing than were Europeans of that era. Prior exposure does not necessarily result in immunity because there are a number of different infectious strains.Ī clue might lie in the way these different cultures interacted with natural environments. ![]() It is unclear why this particular infectious disease should afflict Native Americans and not subsequent European colonists. Leptospira is in a family of spiral-shaped bacteria called spirochetes, along with the bugs that cause syphilis and Lyme disease.Īccording to the hypothesis, infected ship rats landed in the New World and excreted leptospira, infecting raccoons, mink, and muskrats whose urine further contaminated any standing fresh water. Meanwhile, just 10 bacteria, injected into the abdomen, will send a laboratory hamster to violently hemorrhagic death within days. The tubules of an infected rat’s kidney are lousy with bacteria and excrete hundreds of thousands in every drop of urine (10 million leptospira per milliliter, according to one study). For unknown reasons, it’s the only animal whose kidney can sustain continuous leptospira infections. Its favorite host is the black rat, Rattus rattus (the rat so nice they named it twice), a nonnative species that was inadvertently transported to North America on explorers’ ships. The bacterium lives in animal hosts and is transmitted between animals and to people via urine in fresh water. Leptospirosis is what’s known as a zoonotic disease. A recent analysis concludes the culprit was a disease called leptospirosis, caused by leptospira bacteria. However, a lot happened in the relatively short time span just prior, events that weren’t so pleasant.What killed so many people so quickly? The symptoms were a yellowing of the skin, pain and cramping, and profuse bleeding, especially from the nose. ![]() Often, the story – as taught in schools and widely understood – begins in 1620 when the Pilgrims arrived. What people will see is a timeline from 1609 through 1621. Steven Peters: The exhibit will correct that image, and other stereotypes, and replace it with real history. PMPM: How will you set the record straight? Also, during their five and a half weeks in Provincetown, the Pilgrims stole corn from the Wampanoag and even desecrated sacred burial grounds. The Pilgrims are depicted as valiant heroes and the Wampanoag as angry aggressors, which simply wasn’t the case. Steven Peters: For example, we’re removing the current murals dealing with the first encounter between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag. We’ll keep displays in the center area mobile so we can rotate in new components, pieces from other museums or to create space for special events.Īll of it will illustrate the early history of the Wampanoag on Cape Cod, including the 1620 arrival of the Mayflower, which is only part of the story – and one that’s not always portrayed correctly. We’ll have cases with beadwork, wampum and Pilgrim items, too. We’re incorporating touchscreen kiosks, video, artifacts and large panels. Steven Peters: It’ll be interactive, modern and technological, but most important - accurate. PMPM: Tell us what to expect with Our Story? ![]()
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