Researchers have successfully extracted genetic material from the variola virus, the pathogen responsible for smallpox, found within the mummified bodies of two Indigenous individuals in northern Chile. These remains date back approximately 500 years, a period marked by the arrival of European colonizers in the Americas. Historically, smallpox was a highly lethal disease, with variola major claiming the lives of roughly 30% of infected individuals. The virus played a significant role in the widespread mortality of Indigenous populations following its introduction to the region in 1518. Smallpox remains the only human infectious disease to be officially eradicated globally, a milestone achieved after the World Health Organization initiated a comprehensive vaccination and containment strategy in 1967. The discovery of these ancient viral fragments provides new insights into the historical impact of the disease.
Source : Scroll.in
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