Roman soldiers defending Hadrian’s Wall had intestinal parasites

Despite their reputation for good sanitation, the ancient Romans at a major fort in northern England likely suffered from a number of digestive diseases caused by parasites.

Fort Vindolanda, located near Hadrian's Wall and occupied by Roman soldiers from the 1st to 4th centuries AD, would not be a place for anyone with a sensitive stomach, according to excavations of the site's sewer pits.

Piers Mitchell from the University of Cambridge and his colleagues collected and analyzed about 60 sediment samples from a sewer that served a public toilet believed to have been in use in the 3rd century.

Using microscopy, they discovered the eggs of two intestinal parasites: roundworms and whipworms. They also found traces of a single-celled parasite called Giardia duodenumwhich they identified using antibodies that bind exclusively to proteins in this organism.

All three cause gastrointestinal illness, which can be severe in children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems.

“Despite their best efforts to create Roman amenities such as baths and latrines, they still suffered from diarrhea and intestinal worm infections,” Mitchell says.

According to him, infrastructure such as latrines, baths, aqueducts and fountains were mainly intended to improve the ambient odor and keep people visually clean. “Because they didn't have microscopes, they didn't understand… many of the infectious diseases that made them sick.”

Excavations at a second nearby fort, which was occupied in the 1st century and believed to be a ditch associated with the outpost's defences, also returned positive results for roundworms and whipworms.

“Because the sewer contents consist of mixed feces from many different people who used the toilets, we cannot say what proportion of the soldiers were infected,” Mitchell says. “However, [based on] “The fact that parasite eggs were found right along the entire length of the sewer pipe, it is likely that a significant proportion of those who used the toilets were infected.”

Roundworms and whipworms were found elsewhere in the Roman Empire, but Giardia has so far only been identified in a Roman context in Turkey and Italy, says Mitchell.

He says that if he were to go back to the time when the fort was in operation and he was asked if he wanted a glass of water, he would probably refuse: “I might ask, 'Do you have some beer I could drink instead?'

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