TY - JOUR

T1 - Ancient viral genomes reveal introduction of human pathogenic viruses into Mexico during the transatlantic slave trade

AU - Guzmán-Solís, Axel A.

AU - Villa-Islas, Viridiana

AU - Bravo-López, Miriam J.

AU - Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela

AU - Wesp, Julie K.

AU - Gómez-Valdés, Jorge A.

AU - Moreno-Cabrera, María de la Luz

AU - Meraz-Moreno, Alejandro

AU - Solís-Pichardo, Gabriela

AU - Schaaf, Peter

AU - Tenoever, Benjamin R.

AU - Blanco-Melo, Daniel

AU - Ávila-Arcos, María C.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - After the European colonization of the Americas there was a dramatic population collapse of the Indigenous inhabitants caused in part by the introduction of new pathogens. Although there is much speculation on the etiology of the Colonial epidemics, direct evidence for the presence of specific viruses during the Colonial era is lacking. To uncover the diversity of viral pathogens during this period, we designed an enrichment assay targeting ancient DNA (aDNA) from viruses of clinical importance and applied it to DNA extracts from individuals found in a Colonial hospital and a Colonial chapel (16th c. – 18th c.) where records suggest victims of epidemics were buried during important outbreaks in Mexico City. This allowed us to reconstruct three ancient human parvovirus B19 genomes, and one ancient human hepatitis B virus genome from distinct individuals. The viral genomes are similar to African strains, consistent with the inferred morphological and genetic African ancestry of the hosts as well as with the isotopic analysis of the human remains, suggesting an origin on the African continent. This study provides direct molecular evidence of ancient viruses being transported to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade and their subsequent introduction to New Spain. Altogether, our observations enrich the discussion about the etiology of infectious diseases during the Colonial period in Mexico.

AB - After the European colonization of the Americas there was a dramatic population collapse of the Indigenous inhabitants caused in part by the introduction of new pathogens. Although there is much speculation on the etiology of the Colonial epidemics, direct evidence for the presence of specific viruses during the Colonial era is lacking. To uncover the diversity of viral pathogens during this period, we designed an enrichment assay targeting ancient DNA (aDNA) from viruses of clinical importance and applied it to DNA extracts from individuals found in a Colonial hospital and a Colonial chapel (16th c. – 18th c.) where records suggest victims of epidemics were buried during important outbreaks in Mexico City. This allowed us to reconstruct three ancient human parvovirus B19 genomes, and one ancient human hepatitis B virus genome from distinct individuals. The viral genomes are similar to African strains, consistent with the inferred morphological and genetic African ancestry of the hosts as well as with the isotopic analysis of the human remains, suggesting an origin on the African continent. This study provides direct molecular evidence of ancient viruses being transported to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade and their subsequent introduction to New Spain. Altogether, our observations enrich the discussion about the etiology of infectious diseases during the Colonial period in Mexico.

U2 - 10.7554/ELIFE.68612

DO - 10.7554/ELIFE.68612

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85113178493

VL - 10

JO - eLife

JF - eLife

SN - 2050-084X

M1 - e68612

ER -