In an unprecedented discovery, scientists have unearthed ancient DNA of the sheeppox virus, a highly contagious disease affecting livestock, within the sacred pages of a 1,000-year-old gospel book, the York Gospels. Researchers from University College Dublin utilized the animal skins used to create the parchment as a ‘biological time capsule,’ detecting the virus’s genetic material and tracing its evolution over more than 3,700 years, a timeline established by comparing the manuscript’s DNA with that recovered from Bronze Age sheep teeth. This finding, published in Science Advances, unexpectedly revealed sheeppox DNA on parchment made from calfskin and goatskin, suggesting potential cross-species infections or contamination during the ancient parchment-making process. The sheeppox virus, known for its rapid spread and high mortality rates, particularly in young animals, poses a significant threat to livestock-dependent communities and remains a concern today, with current outbreaks causing economic damage. The stability of the sheeppox virus genome over millennia, as observed in this study, offers crucial insights into its evolutionary history, potentially aiding future efforts to combat and eradicate the pathogen. This groundbreaking research highlights the immense potential of archival materials like manuscripts to preserve genetic evidence of past disease outbreaks, opening new avenues for understanding pathogen evolution and its impact on historical societies.
Adapted from: Travel News Today on Fox News
