THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The mummified remains of an Italian boy who died 450 years ago suggest the hepatitis B virus has infected humans for centuries.
The child died in the 16th century. And prior testing suggested smallpox killed him.
But a new analysis evaluated DNA samples from the boy’s bone and skin. This second look led investigators to conclude the killer was actually hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection.
“These data emphasize the importance of molecular approaches to help identify the presence of key pathogens in the past, enabling us to better
