01781nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001700058653001400075100001400089700001500103700001200118700001600130245009100146856026000237300000600497490000700503520105100510022001401561       2025                            d  bElsevier BV10alepromatosis10aSquirrels1 aSouguel S1 aOueslati T1 aGrine G1 aDrancourt M00aThe role of red squirrels in leprosy dynamics in the United Kingdom: a critical review  uhttps://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/312984/1-s2.0-S2352771425X00021/1-s2.0-S2352771425001508/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEPL%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIA458OeVP1nwkEVi4V3lzSEnLRkPK%2BGKbKmBDzeKd68uAiEAupkzIM4Tys  a60 v213 a<p>In the United Kingdom, the declining population of the red squirrel, the acknowledged historical reservoir for zoonotic&nbsp;<em>Mycobacterium leprae</em>&nbsp;leprosy, is thought to have been behind the decline in leprosy. However, remaining red squirrels are mainly plagued by&nbsp;<em>Mycobacterium leprae, questioning their historical</em>&nbsp;role in zoonotic&nbsp;<em>M. leprae</em>&nbsp;leprosy dynamics. To resolve this issue, forthcoming paleomicrobiology studies will address the&nbsp;<em>M. leprae</em>&nbsp;complex as a whole; investigating the remains of squirrels buried for eight centuries, and burrowing animals imported in the United Kingdom from the British Empire countries between the 16th and 19th centuries; also looking at the situation in continental Europe, to gain a more comprehensive view of the historical zoonotic dynamics of leprosy in the United Kingdom and Europe. The results may indicate that the declining red squirrel population is no more than a red herring, obscuring a broader decline in leprosy.</p>
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