In a large-scale study conducted in 2025, Spanish specialists examined the remains of soldiers who died during Napoleon’s famous campaign to Russia. For analysis, they selected the teeth of thirteen soldiers found in a mass grave in the Vilnius area. Using modern techniques, researchers managed to extract and decode fragments of DNA preserved in the tissues for over two centuries.
The results were unexpected: traces of two dangerous bacteria were found in each of the samples. These were the agent of relapsing fever (borrelia recurrentis) and the bacterium that causes paratyphoid fever type C (salmonella enterica paratyphi C). Both microorganisms can be transmitted by parasites such as lice, which were common among soldiers due to the harsh campaign conditions and lack of basic hygiene.
Interestingly, historical accounts from that period rarely mention outbreaks of typhoid fever among Napoleon’s troops. However, scientists believe that symptoms of the disease may have been so varied and subtle that they were not associated with a specific infection. As a result, an epidemic caused by these bacteria could have gone unnoticed, yet played a fatal role in the outcome of the military campaign.
A discovery by Spanish researchers sheds light on one of the most mysterious chapters in European history. It is now clear that not only cold and hunger, but also invisible enemies in the form of infections may have caused the deaths of thousands of soldiers. This study not only changes our understanding of the events of 1812, but also highlights the importance of modern technology in exploring the past.
