# Sheeppox virus discovery in medieval manuscripts > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/sheeppox-virus-discovery-in-medieval-manuscripts > Updated: 2026-09-05T14:40:00.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 2. An international research team led by University College Dublin has identified traces of the sheeppox virus (SPPV) within the DNA of medieval manuscripts. Because parchment was historically made from animal skins, researchers found that these documents serve as biological archives. By analyzing significant works such as the 1,000-year-old York Gospels and the Corpus Glossary, scientists identified genetic material from the virus, suggesting that skins from infected animals were used during manuscript production. In several instances, multiple pages of the same manuscript contained the virus DNA. By comparing this DNA with samples from Bronze Age sheep teeth, the team reconstructed a history showing the virus has threatened Eurasian livestock for at least 3,700 years. The study, published in Science Advances, highlights how the highly contagious disease causes economic damage through impacts on milk, wool, and meat production. While the virus causes high mortality rates in livestock, researchers found no evidence of human infection. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-05: University College Dublin researchers find ancient virus DNA in medieval manuscripts Scientists have extracted sheeppox virus DNA from medieval parchment manuscripts, revealing a 3,500-year evolutionary history of the disease in Eurasian sheep herds. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-college-dublin-researchers-find-ancient-virus-dna-in-medieval-manuscripts ### 2026-09-03: Ancient manuscripts reveal history of sheeppox virus Researchers have identified sheeppox virus DNA in medieval manuscripts, using ancient parchment as a biological archive to trace the evolution of the pathogen over thousands of years. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sheep-scab-virus-traces-found-in-medieval-european-manuscripts --- Cite as: Sheeppox virus discovery in medieval manuscripts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/sheeppox-virus-discovery-in-medieval-manuscripts