A new study has shed important light on the history of smallpox in the Americas. Scientists analyzed DNA from ancient mummies unearthed in Chile, offering the strongest scientific proof to date that the disease was brought to the region through European colonization.
According to researchers, the DNA analysis of the Chilean mummy samples revealed traces of the smallpox virus. This finding is considered the most direct and clear evidence linking European colonial expansion to the appearance of the disease in the Americas.
Previously, the scientific community debated the timing and route by which smallpox entered the Americas. Some hypotheses suggested the disease may have existed on the continent before Europeans arrived. However, the new research, based on ancient DNA analysis, strongly reinforces the theory that smallpox was carried by European colonists.
Experts emphasize that this discovery not only helps understand the history of the epidemic but also clarifies the profound impacts of colonial exchange and conquest on the health of indigenous communities in the Americas.
The study was published as scientists increasingly use advanced technologies to unravel mysteries about the history of infectious diseases and their spread across eras.
