Vampire Lore’s Origins Brought To Light By Digging Into Genetic Sequences

In less enlightened times, anyone with a pale appearance, nocturnal habits, and a habit of drinking animal blood—should blood transfusions have been unavailable—may have been accused of being a vampire. We now know, however, that these attributes aren’t necessarily signs of the undead. Instead, they may point to a medical condition, to one of several porphyrias, the most common of which is called erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP).