Essay

Cocoliztli: Mexico’s 16th-Century Mystery Epidemic

Cocoliztli and Mexico’s sixteenth-century mystery epidemics, including retrospective diagnosis, colonial records, ancient DNA, and pathogen uncertainty.

Evergreen essay December 30, 2025 By Devin Teichrow scienceinfectious diseasecocoliztliHistoryMexico

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cocoliztli epidemic

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By Devin Teichrow. Published December 30, 2025.

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Cocoliztli and Mexico’s sixteenth-century mystery epidemics, including retrospective diagnosis, colonial records, ancient DNA, and pathogen uncertainty.

Cocoliztli and Mexico's sixteenth-century epidemics, including hemorrhagic fever, colonial disruption, climate stress, and the evidence behind a historical mystery.

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