“Mummy’s curse” on well-preserved corpse.. “mushroom growth” threatens Mexico museum visitors at risk of spreading

Experts have warned that the display of 19th-century mummies, currently on display in Mexico, could pose a danger to the public due to “fungus growth”.

The bodies were accidentally mummified after being buried in cellars in the dry, mineral-rich soil of Guanajuato in central Mexico, and some still retain the original skin, hair, and clothing in which they were buried.

The reason for the erratic preservation remains unclear, though some attribute it to the climate, the mineral-rich environment, or hermetically sealed catacombs.

But one of the mummies on display has alarmed experts because it was displayed “without protection to the public against biohazards.”

Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History confirmed that the mummy had fungal growth that could pose a health risk to the visiting public, as it was unclear whether the glass boxes containing the mummies were sealed.

The institute distanced itself from the state government’s decision to display six mummies in glass display cases at a tourism fair in Mexico City.

In the statement made by the institute, it was stated that he was not consulted about the exhibition held as part of the city’s activities.

“Most disturbing is the continued exposure to biohazards that the public is not assured,” the institute said in a statement.

“In some of the images released, at least one of the corpses on display examined by the institute in November 2021 shows possible signs of the spread of fungal colonies. All these should be carefully examined to see if they are signs of disease.” It is a threat to the cultural heritage as well as to those who deal with it and come to see it.”

The experts did not say what type of fungal growth they were talking about.

There is no information about these natural mummies except that they have been exhumed since the 1860s because their families could not afford the funeral expenses. They have since been displayed at the Guanajuato State Capitol Museum, and some were displayed in the United States in 2009.

Source: Independent