A closer look revealed that the bones carried the same infection: hepatitis B. Each year, the World Health Organization estimates, hepatitis B kills 887,000 people. The research, published in the journal Nature, demonstrates that hepatitis B existed across Europe and Asia as early as the Bronze Age. It may be the first time these strains of hepatitis B have existed in several thousand years. Studying ancient viruses could give researchers clues about how today’s hepatitis B might evolve in years to come.

Source: New York Times May 09, 2018 20:30 UTC