Genetic study confirms Europeans brought smallpox to the Americas

An international research team has uncovered genetic evidence confirming that European colonizers introduced smallpox to the Americas. By analyzing viral DNA extracted from human mummies preserved in Chile, scientists obtained the first direct molecular proof linking American smallpox strains to European origins.

The findings validate long-standing historical accounts detailing how infectious diseases brought by European arrivals devastated Indigenous populations across the New World during the era of colonization. The study provides critical insights into the historical spread and evolution of the variola virus.

Sources: FAZ