Ancient viral genomes reveal deep history of human herpesviruses
A team of researchers from the University of Vienna, University of Tartu, Cambridge University, and University College London has reconstructed the genomes of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from ancient European human remains.
Today, HHV-6B infects around 90% of children by age two, causing roseola infantum, or “sixth disease,” which involves fever and a rash. Beyond causing illness, HHV-6 viruses can integrate into human chromosomes, remaining dormant; these inherited forms are present in roughly 1% of modern people.
The team analysed nearly 4,000 ancient and historic human remains, detecting HHV-6A/B genomes in 11 individuals. The oldest sample came from a girl buried in Italy between 1100 and 600 B.C. Both HHV-6A and HHV-6B were found in remains from medieval England, Belgium, and Estonia, and the inherited form of HHV-6B appeared in several individuals from England.
Meriam Guellil of the University of Vienna notes that “modern genetic data suggest HHV-6 may have been evolving with humans since our migration out of Africa. These ancient genomes now provide the first concrete proof of their presence in the deep human past.”
This research offers a remarkable window into the long-term relationship between humans and viruses, showing that HHV-6 has been circulating and evolving alongside our species for thousands of years.
