Pinworm transmission control related to anthelmintic plants in Aztec Ruins (Aztec, New Mexico, USA) Pueblo III (1150 - 1300 AD) occupation

In this paper, we analyze 110 coprolites excavated from three latrine deposits in two ancestral Pueblo ruins on the Colorado Plateau, U.S.A. Paleoepidemiological data on pinworm infection stable state, transmission breakpoint, and infection extinction trajectory indicate that Puebloans living at Aztec Ruins during the Pueblo III period (1150 - 1300 AD) controlled infection with anthelminthics. Complementary paleoethnobotanical studies indicate that infection states were associated with vermifugic plants. Seeds from squash ( Cucurbita ) and bean leaves ( Phaseolus vulgaris ), were found in the study samples and have anthelmintic properties. We statistically found that high anthelmintic plant abundance is associated with lower pinworm EPG. Our previous research led to the hypothesis that mite infestation degraded parasite eggs (Camacho et al., 2018a). We evaluated this hypothesis by reviewing the environmental and feeding characteristics of nematophagous mites. This review does not support the hypothesis, leading us to conclude that mite infestation is not the sole factor defining pinworm egg count variation. Our research shows the value of integrated, interdisciplinary research that reveals details of human-parasite interaction.