Aristocrat to be exhumed in bird flu fight
By Martin Beckford
28/02/2007
The body of an English aristocrat who died almost 90 years ago is to be exhumed in the hope that it could help the fight against bird flu.
Sir Mark died in 1919
Sir Mark Sykes, 6th baronet and owner of historic Sledmere House in Yorkshire, was killed by the Spanish flu virus in 1919.
He had been working on the Versailles Peace Conference and was with his wife in a Paris hotel when he died before his body ceremoniously returned to Britain.
Sir Mark was buried in a lead-lined coffin because the disease was so virulent, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide.
Now scientists, who have long been looking for a sample of the virus, hope the preservative qualities of the metal coffin may mean samples of his DNA can still be taken.
They believe analysis of Sir Mark's genetic material could uncover new information about the H1N1 virus which killed him, and help develop drugs to fight modern forms of the disease such as bird flu (H5N1).
Professor John Oxford, the Professor of Virology at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital who is leading the project, said: "At this point it looks quite encouraging.
"I think the next thing to do now is to decide to open up the grave and see what samples we can take.
"If we can get samples, that would be a wonderful opportunity for my team and for science in general.
"We can get answers to very important questions. This is not just history - at the moment we are on the potential verge of the first great outbreak of influenza of the 21st century.
"We need answers to questions to help us prepare for this first outbreak and I think Sir Mark can help there."
In order to dig up Sir Mark's body from the church in the Sledmere estate, the researchers had to get permission from all of his living relatives as well as relatives of his wife Lady Edith Violet Sykes, who was buried with him.
The families agreed to the exhumation in the interests of science, as did a special court hearing in York.
Prof Oxford said there were "a few hurdles" to cross with consent still required from the Health and Safety Executive and the Home Office.
He explained that although there are survivors of the 1919 outbreak, including his own parents, vital information would be contained in a preserved corpse.
Prof Oxford added: "From a victim who has died at the time we can actually get a virus imprint, a genetic footprint.
"From living people all we can do is analyse their immune response. It is much more interesting scientifically to go back to someone who has died."
Sir Mark's grandson, the writer Christopher Simon Sykes, said: "Professor Oxford and his group are doing this research and looking for any chance of getting DNA samples of Spanish flu.
"It just so happened that because Sir Mark was buried in a lead coffin that there's a faint chance that they may be able to extract his DNA.
"He died in Paris and because Spanish flu was so virulent they buried him in a lead coffin. He was well known to have died of the Spanish flu and the scientists knew about it.
"We are all agreed that it is a very good thing, that it should go ahead. It is rather fascinating, that maybe even in his state as a corpse, he might be helping the world in some way."
At a hearing of York Consistory Court in January, Peter Collier QC granted Prof Oxford's request to exhume Sir Mark and Lady Edith in the name of research into bird flu.
The court heard that the exhumations should be allowed if there was a chance they would lead to advances in the treatment of dangerous diseases.
Although the contents of Lady Edith's coffin will not be disturbed, permission was needed to move it to reach that of her husband.
Born in 1879, Sir Mark served in the Second Boer War and travelled widely before becoming a Conservative politician.
During the First World War he became an advisor to the Government on the Middle East, and was in Paris for the peace conference when he succumbed to Spanish flu, aged just 39.
telegraph.co.uk
By Martin Beckford
28/02/2007
The body of an English aristocrat who died almost 90 years ago is to be exhumed in the hope that it could help the fight against bird flu.
Sir Mark died in 1919
Sir Mark Sykes, 6th baronet and owner of historic Sledmere House in Yorkshire, was killed by the Spanish flu virus in 1919.
He had been working on the Versailles Peace Conference and was with his wife in a Paris hotel when he died before his body ceremoniously returned to Britain.
Sir Mark was buried in a lead-lined coffin because the disease was so virulent, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide.
Now scientists, who have long been looking for a sample of the virus, hope the preservative qualities of the metal coffin may mean samples of his DNA can still be taken.
They believe analysis of Sir Mark's genetic material could uncover new information about the H1N1 virus which killed him, and help develop drugs to fight modern forms of the disease such as bird flu (H5N1).
Professor John Oxford, the Professor of Virology at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital who is leading the project, said: "At this point it looks quite encouraging.
"I think the next thing to do now is to decide to open up the grave and see what samples we can take.
"If we can get samples, that would be a wonderful opportunity for my team and for science in general.
"We can get answers to very important questions. This is not just history - at the moment we are on the potential verge of the first great outbreak of influenza of the 21st century.
"We need answers to questions to help us prepare for this first outbreak and I think Sir Mark can help there."
In order to dig up Sir Mark's body from the church in the Sledmere estate, the researchers had to get permission from all of his living relatives as well as relatives of his wife Lady Edith Violet Sykes, who was buried with him.
The families agreed to the exhumation in the interests of science, as did a special court hearing in York.
Prof Oxford said there were "a few hurdles" to cross with consent still required from the Health and Safety Executive and the Home Office.
He explained that although there are survivors of the 1919 outbreak, including his own parents, vital information would be contained in a preserved corpse.
Prof Oxford added: "From a victim who has died at the time we can actually get a virus imprint, a genetic footprint.
"From living people all we can do is analyse their immune response. It is much more interesting scientifically to go back to someone who has died."
Sir Mark's grandson, the writer Christopher Simon Sykes, said: "Professor Oxford and his group are doing this research and looking for any chance of getting DNA samples of Spanish flu.
"It just so happened that because Sir Mark was buried in a lead coffin that there's a faint chance that they may be able to extract his DNA.
"He died in Paris and because Spanish flu was so virulent they buried him in a lead coffin. He was well known to have died of the Spanish flu and the scientists knew about it.
"We are all agreed that it is a very good thing, that it should go ahead. It is rather fascinating, that maybe even in his state as a corpse, he might be helping the world in some way."
At a hearing of York Consistory Court in January, Peter Collier QC granted Prof Oxford's request to exhume Sir Mark and Lady Edith in the name of research into bird flu.
The court heard that the exhumations should be allowed if there was a chance they would lead to advances in the treatment of dangerous diseases.
Although the contents of Lady Edith's coffin will not be disturbed, permission was needed to move it to reach that of her husband.
Born in 1879, Sir Mark served in the Second Boer War and travelled widely before becoming a Conservative politician.
During the First World War he became an advisor to the Government on the Middle East, and was in Paris for the peace conference when he succumbed to Spanish flu, aged just 39.
telegraph.co.uk