Some of Europe’s most famous medieval manuscripts, including the York Gospels, have revealed an extraordinary secret hidden in their pages. Scientists have discovered ancient viral DNA preserved in the animal skins used to make parchment, opening a new window into the 3,500-year history of sheeppox virus (SPPV). The discovery was made by an international research team led by University College Dublin (UCD). By analyzing parchment from centuries-old documents, the researchers uncovered the first genetic evidence that this destructive disease was spreading through European sheep flocks long before modern times. Sheeppox…
