Scientists have identified the oldest confirmed human RNA virus in lung tissue from a woman who died in London around the 1770s. The rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, was reconstructed from fragmented genetic material preserved in alcohol. This discovery opens new possibilities for studying the evolution of RNA viruses in human history.
Genetic analysis has revealed a rhinovirus in lung samples from a woman who lived in London and died about 250 years ago, marking it as the oldest confirmed human RNA virus. Unlike DNA viruses, which can be traced back up to 50,000 years in ancient skeletons, RNA viruses degrade quickly after death, typically within hours. However, researchers have pushed the boundaries of ancient RNA recovery, including from a woolly mammoth that perished 40,000 years ago.
Erin Barnett at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle led the team in searching European pathology collections for pre-1900s specimens preserved without formalin, which began protecting RNA in the early 20th century. At the Hunterian Anatomy Museum in Glasgow, UK, they examined alcohol-preserved lung tissue from the London woman, who died around the 1770s, and another individual who died in 1877. Both showed signs of severe respiratory illness.
The RNA extracted was highly fragmented, with segments averaging 20 to 30 nucleotides—far shorter than the over 1,000 nucleotides typical in living cells. As Barnett explained, "To put that in perspective, RNA molecules in living cells are usually more than 1000 nucleotides long. So instead of working with long, intact strands, we were piecing together information from many tiny fragments."
The team reconstructed the full rhinovirus genome from the 18th-century sample and detected co-infecting bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Comparing it to a US National Institutes of Health database of viral genomes, the virus belonged to the human rhinovirus A group, an extinct lineage closest to the modern A19 genotype. Barnett noted, "By comparing it to present-day viruses, we estimate that this historical virus and modern A19 last shared a common ancestor sometime in the 1600s."
Love Dalén at Stockholm University praised the work: "It represents a really important discovery since it demonstrates the possibility of recovering RNA from wet collections that pre-date the use of formalin." He added that it signals "the first phase in what will become an explosion in the study of RNA viruses," given their rapid evolution. Barnett hopes the study honors the individuals: "The stories of these two individuals are largely unknown, and we hope that this study serves to help recognise them."
The findings were detailed in a preprint on bioRxiv (DOI: 10.64898/2026.01.29.702071). Until now, ancient RNA studies focused on rare preserved materials like permafrost or desiccated seeds, limiting insights into past human diseases, Barnett said: "Until now, most ancient RNA studies have relied on exceptionally well-preserved materials, such as permafrost samples or desiccated seeds, which greatly limits what we can learn about past human disease."
