While scientists around the world are trying to figure out the origin of the coronavirus, other virologists continue to struggle to pursue the origins of another disease that once wreaked havoc on the world, namely smallpox. The good news is, traces of the smallpox disease are finally beginning to appear. Researchers successfully found viral DNA from an extinct type of ancient smallpox present in the archaeological remains of the Viking Age in northern Europe. The earliest DNA sample dates back to 603 BCE. This finding provides genetic evidence that the origin of smallpox emerged at least 1,400 years earlier than previously recorded.
As quoted from Medicalxpress, Friday (24/7/2020), an international research team has sequenced the genome of the virus strain found in Viking teeth across Viking-era burial sites in Northern Europe. "We discovered a new smallpox strain in Viking teeth, and the genetic structure of that smallpox differs from the modern smallpox virus eradicated in the 20th century. We know Vikings traveled to Europe and beyond, and they suffered from smallpox. So, it is also possible that the Vikings spread smallpox," stated Eske Willerslev, the lead researcher of this study. Furthermore, researchers mentioned that the 1,400-year-old genetic information is crucial because it teaches us about the evolutionary history of the variola virus, which causes smallpox.
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