'Clear Evidence': Ancient DNA From Chilean Mummies Reveals Who Brought Smallpox to The Americas

Researchers found variola virus DNA in two naturally mummified remains from northern Chile.

The genomes were nearly identical and fall between medieval European strains and later global lineages.

This is the first direct genetic evidence that smallpox arrived in the Americas soon after European colonization began.

The study strengthens the case that smallpox helped drive catastrophic Indigenous population loss and sheds light on viral evolution across continents and vaccination eras.