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Human Remains Being Sold Online Could Spread the ‘Mummy’s Curse,’ Scientists Warn

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You’ve got to love a little melodrama mixed in with your scientific research. For instance, researchers recently warned of a “real mummy’s curse” out there afflicting collectors and postal workers, thanks to the growing global trade market for mummified remains. There is no actual mystical curse, of course. Just a lot of people getting sick from handling stuff that they shouldn’t be.

According to new research published in the International Journal of Cultural Property, mummified human and animal remains are being sold online and shipped across the world more than ever, and often without labels warning of the biological hazards hidden within the package.

Researchers examined 128 online listings and found visible signs of fungal growth on 13 of them. Researchers say that........

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