virology blog
About viruses and viral disease
Nels and Vincent present ancient hepatitis B virus genome sequences from Bronze Age to Medieval period human remains.
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Show notes at microbe.tv/twievo
A study done in 1985 on a 16th century Italian mummy suggested that the two year old child had smallpox. Recent sequence analysis of tissues from the mummy now reveal the presence of hepatitis B virus, not smallpox virus. The sequence of the viral genome suggests that HBV entered the human population well before 1500.
[Read more…] about A virus and a paradox in a 439 year old mummy
On episode #187 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent and Rich discuss recovery of a hepatitis B viral genome from a 16th century Korean mummy, and personal omics profiling of an individual over a 14 month period.
You can find TWiV #187 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.