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Sheeppox virus discovery in medieval manuscripts
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2026-09-06 14:31 UTC → 2026-09-06 23:01 UTC ·
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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. Lead author Louis L’Hôte noted that the discovery demonstrates The study, published in Science Advances, highlights how parchment can act as a ‘biological archive’ for ancient pathogens. While the virus highly contagious disease causes economic damage through impacts on milk milk, wool, and wool production, meat production. While the virus causes high mortality rates in livestock, researchers found no evidence of human infection.
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- 2026-09-06 23:01 UTC Sheeppox virus discovery in medieval manuscripts
- 2026-09-06 14:31 UTC Sheeppox virus discovery in medieval manuscripts
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