Syphilis may be older than Columbus’ New World Voyage

Paleontologists at the University of Zurich have revealed signs that Europeans may have been sexually transmitted by the 15th century.

This content was published on August 13, 2020 at 15:02
From August 13, 2020 to 15:02

Keystone-SDA / jdp

The exact origin of the syphilis that caused the European turmoil in the late 15th and 18th centuries was a mystery. The first case of syphilis in Europe was reported at the end of the 15th century, leading to the theory that it was brought back from the New World by Christopher Columbus and his sailors.

Researchers at the University of Zurich discovered signs that the bacteria behind the disease, Treponema pallidum, were already present in Europe before Columbus set sail for the United States.

Their findings are based on genetic material taken from skeletons of Finland, Estonia and the Netherlands. The team used molecular dating of ancient bacterial genomes and traditional radiocarbon dating of samples to estimate the age of pathogens.

“The first known outbreak of syphilis does not appear to be solely due to Columbus’s voyage to the United States,” said Verena Schunemann, a professor of paleontology at the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich. .. She said the strains may have evolved and exchanged genetic material before and during intercontinental contact.

“We may still need to revise our theory about the origin of syphilis and other Treponema diseases.”

Research published in Current biology The journal has also discovered a pathogen belonging to a new unknown Treponemal strain that gives scientists reason to believe that the predecessor of syphilis may be over 2,500 years old.

“This unexpected discovery is particularly exciting for us, because the strain is genetically similar to all current Treponemal subspecies, but it also has unique properties that make it different,” says the University of Zurich. Says Kerttu Majander, the lead author of.

Syphilis swept the world in the 16th century as one of the most prominent and documented pandemics. Despite effective antibiotics, the Swiss federal health authorities report that the number of cases of syphilis is rising again worldwide.

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