Until now, there had been no direct genetic evidence linking colonial-era outbreaks in the Americas to strains circulating in ...

Until now, there had been no direct genetic evidence linking colonial-era outbreaks in the Americas to strains circulating in ...

Ancient DNA from two Chilean mummies reveals the first ancient smallpox genomes found in the Americas, uncovering a vanished viral lineage.

The findings could also help improve understanding of how pathogens evolve, with potential relevance for diseases such as ...

Historians have long speculated that Europeans introduced smallpox to the Americas, which then killed hundreds of millions of ...

A groundbreaking scientific discovery has provided the first molecular evidence that European colonizers brought devastating ...

Historians have long suspected European colonists brought the smallpox-causing Orthopoxvirus variola virus to the Americas, ...

Researchers have recovered the first smallpox virus genomes ever identified in the Americas, providing evidence it was ...

Vaccinating children early in life, before any potential exposure, gives them the best chance against the most dangerous and life-threatening diseases. Some vaccines, including tetanus and pertussis ...

In a new study, researchers found evidence of smallpox infection from two mummified individuals in Chile, dating them to between 1492 and 1631.

More than 400 years ago, two people living in modern day Chile died while infected with the smallpox virus. Viral DNA found in their mummified remains has now yielded genetic evidence of when the ...

Ancient mummy DNA recovered in Chile has yielded the firmest evidence yet that European colonization brought smallpox to the Americas. Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in human history ...