Parchment DNA uncovers 3,700-year history of sheep pox

Researchers extracted DNA from parchment made from animal skins in medieval manuscripts (e.g., the York Gospels) and found traces of the sheep pox virus dating back about 3,700 years. The study shows infected animals may have been used to produce pages, and that parchment can preserve pathogen DNA, offering insights into how the virus evolved over millennia—while there is no evidence it can infect humans.