Genome Biology (Jul 2020)
The origins and genomic diversity of American Civil War Era smallpox vaccine strains
- Ana T. Duggan,
- Jennifer Klunk,
- Ashleigh F. Porter,
- Anna N. Dhody,
- Robert Hicks,
- Geoffrey L. Smith,
- Margaret Humphreys,
- Andrea M. McCollum,
- Whitni B. Davidson,
- Kimberly Wilkins,
- Yu Li,
- Amanda Burke,
- Hanna Polasky,
- Lowell Flanders,
- Debi Poinar,
- Amogelang R. Raphenya,
- Tammy T. Y. Lau,
- Brian Alcock,
- Andrew G. McArthur,
- G. Brian Golding,
- Edward C. Holmes,
- Hendrik N. Poinar
Affiliations
- Ana T. Duggan
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University
- Jennifer Klunk
- Department of Biology, McMaster University
- Ashleigh F. Porter
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney
- Anna N. Dhody
- Mütter Research Institute
- Robert Hicks
- Mütter Research Institute
- Geoffrey L. Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge
- Margaret Humphreys
- Department of History, Duke University
- Andrea M. McCollum
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Poxvirus and Rabies Branch
- Whitni B. Davidson
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Poxvirus and Rabies Branch
- Kimberly Wilkins
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Poxvirus and Rabies Branch
- Yu Li
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Poxvirus and Rabies Branch
- Amanda Burke
- Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
- Hanna Polasky
- Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
- Lowell Flanders
- Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
- Debi Poinar
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University
- Amogelang R. Raphenya
- Present address: BC Cancer Research Centre
- Tammy T. Y. Lau
- Present address: BC Cancer Research Centre
- Brian Alcock
- Present address: BC Cancer Research Centre
- Andrew G. McArthur
- Present address: BC Cancer Research Centre
- G. Brian Golding
- Department of Biology, McMaster University
- Edward C. Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney
- Hendrik N. Poinar
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-020-02079-z
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 21,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 11
Abstract
Abstract Vaccination has transformed public health, most notably including the eradication of smallpox. Despite its profound historical importance, little is known of the origins and diversity of the viruses used in smallpox vaccination. Prior to the twentieth century, the method, source and origin of smallpox vaccinations remained unstandardised and opaque. We reconstruct and analyse viral vaccine genomes associated with smallpox vaccination from historical artefacts. Significantly, we recover viral molecules through non-destructive sampling of historical materials lacking signs of biological residues. We use the authenticated ancient genomes to reveal the evolutionary relationships of smallpox vaccination viruses within the poxviruses as a whole.
Keywords
