ROME — Researchers suspect the corpse of a 5,000-year-old mummy
frozen in the Italian Alps might have been contaminated by
bacteria since its discovery in 1991, a doctor who cares for the
body said Monday. X-rays have shown bubbles in the bones that
could be caused by bacteria, said Eduard Egarter Vigl, in charge
of preserving the mummy at the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum
in Bolzano, Italy. The museum is trying to find local companies
that can analyze the air in the sealed-off chamber where the
mummy is kept to test for the presence of bacteria, Egarter Vigl
said in a telephone interview. He denied media reports that the
bacteria could cause the disintegration of the Iceman, also
known as Oetzi. But if bacteria are present, disinfection will
be necessary to prevent possible damage to the man's remains, he
said. Egarter Vigl said the bubbles, which caused light patches
to appear on Oetzi's skeleton, could also be caused by air
entering through cracks in the mummy's skin and bones, which
would present no r