title: Bones hold the key to DNA virus history and epidemiology.
abstract: DNA in human skeletal remains represents an important historical source of host genomic information and potentially of infecting viruses. However, little is known about viral persistence in bone. We searched ca. 70-year-old long bones of putative Finnish casualties from World War II for parvovirus B19 (B19V) DNA, and found a remarkable prevalence of 45%. The viral sequences were exclusively of genotypes 2 (n = 41), which disappeared from circulation in 1970´s, or genotype 3 (n = 2), which has never been reported in Northern Europe. Based on mitochondrial and Y-chromosome profiling, the two individuals carrying B19V genotype 3 were likely from the Soviet Red Army. The most recent common ancestor for all genotypes was estimated at early 1800s. This work demonstrates the forms of B19V that circulated in the first half of the 20(th) century and provides the first evidence of the suitability of bone for exploration of DNA viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toppinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Perdomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Kytösuontie 11, 00300 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Palo
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Infection and Immunity Division, Easter Bush Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simmonds
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Infection and Immunity Division, Easter Bush Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lycett
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderlund-Venermo
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Kytösuontie 11, 00300 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sajantila
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.|Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedman
mesh_terms: D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000821:virology*; D002102:Cadaver; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D049249:Exhumation; D005838:Genotype; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000266:history; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014586:USSR / Q000453:epidemiology; D047789:World War II
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral