Red squirrels ‘brought leprosy to Britain’

Red squirrels may have brought leprosy to Britain more than 1,500 years ago, new research suggests.

DNA taken from a 5th-century victim of the disease in Essex revealed the same strain of leprosy bacteria carried by red squirrels today.

The discovery supports the theory that the rodents, once prized for their meat and fur, played a role in the spread of leprosy throughout medieval Europe.

The new research, published in the journal Public Library of Science Pathogens, suggests that leprosy may have originated in western Europe or Asia. The disease was prevalent in Europe until the 16th century.