Ancient Smallpox DNA Discovered in Colonial Chile Shows European Origin

An international research team led by the University of Chile's Institute of Biomedical Sciences, together with the University of Tarapacá and Trinity College Dublin, recovered the oldest smallpox (variola) virus genomes ever found in the Americas. The DNA was extracted from two human remains—a woman and a young man—unearthed at the Camarones 9 archaeological site in the Arica and Parinacota region of northern Chile and dated between 1492 and 1631. Genetic analysis revealed an extinct viral lineage that sits evolutionarily between medieval European strains and later modern variants, providing the first direct molecular evidence that smallpox was introduced to the continent by European colonizers during the early colonial period.

Researchers noted that the two individuals shared almost identical viral variants, indicating infection during the same outbreak. Dr. Constanza de la Fuente of the University of Chile emphasized that the finding uncovers a previously unknown episode of contagion, while Shigeki Nakagome of Trinity College Dublin highlighted the significance of the extinct lineage for understanding the virus’s evolution. The study was published in *Science* and corroborates similar DNA evidence reported from Inca mummies, confirming the European origin of early smallpox in South America.