Nels Elde

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Poxvirus carries a human gene it stole 100,000 years ago

As of October 2026: Commentator on the findings

A poxvirus that causes skin warts has carried a human gene for about 100,000 years. Two copies of BC200, a non-coding RNA gene active in human neurons, sit inside molluscum contagiosum virus, the first known virus to harbor a human gene from recent evolutionary history.

Updated Oct 8