Unraveling the Dark History of Sheeppox: Lessons from Medieval Manuscripts Medieval manuscripts have long been regarded as valuable sources of historical information, but they also hold a darker secret.
These ancient documents can serve as "biological time capsules" for the sheeppox virus, which has afflicted Eurasian sheep herds for at least 3,500 years.
The earliest written evidence of sheeppox outbreaks dates back to the first century CE, with Roman accounts describing skin lesions on sheep.