Pox: Genetic analyses on mummies confirm European introduction

An international research team has uncovered the most definitive evidence to date that smallpox, a devastating disease in the Americas, originated in Europe. By analyzing the genetic material of smallpox from mummies found in Chile, scientists have molecularly confirmed its introduction during the colonial period.

Shigeki Nakagome of Trinity College Dublin stated that this discovery provides the first molecular proof of smallpox being introduced during the colonial era. The research team, comprising experts from Ireland, Chile, and Japan, analyzed the first smallpox genomes from the colonial period recovered in the Americas. They focused on two mummified indigenous individuals buried in northern Chile between the late 15th and early 17th centuries.

Smallpox, caused by the Variola virus, played a significant role in the catastrophic population decline experienced by indigenous peoples in North, Central, and South America following European arrival. The study indicates the virus spread in waves, causing an estimated three to four million deaths, and potentially more, particularly among indigenous populations with no prior immunity.

Previously, direct genetic links between outbreaks in the Americas during the colonial period and strains circulating in the Old World were lacking. This new study, published in the journal 'Science,' reveals that the viruses belonged to an extinct lineage of the smallpox virus. This lineage is evolutionarily positioned between medieval European strains and those circulating in later centuries.

The findings bolster existing theories about the transmission of infectious diseases during the age of exploration and colonization, highlighting the profound impact European pathogens had on indigenous populations. The research provides a crucial genetic timestamp for understanding the historical epidemiology of smallpox.

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This discovery provides the first molecular proof that smallpox was introduced during the colonial period