The origins of syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection that devastated Europe in the late 15th century, have intrigued researchers for decades. A new study, published in Nature, provides a groundbreaking insight into whether the disease originated in the Americas or existed in Europe before the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Based on ancient DNA from archaeological remains in the Americas, the study strongly supports the hypothesis that syphilis and related diseases have deep roots in the Americas.

        Skeletal element (upper hip) that yielded an ancient syphilis-like genome.                                                 Credit: Darío Ramirez

The first recorded epidemic of syphilis swept across Europe after the conquest of Naples by King Charles VIII of France in 1494. Known for its disfiguring symptoms and high mortality rate, the disease spread rapidly across the continent. At the time, it was called by several names, including the "French disease" by the Italians and the "Neapolitan disease" by the French, reflecting the tendency to blame neighboring nations for the epidemic.The outbreak occurred shortly after the return of Columbus and his crew from the Americas, fueling speculation that the disease was introduced to Europe through transatlantic contact. This theory, known as the "Columbian hypothesis", posits that syphilis originated in the Americas and was brought to Europe by early explorers. However, an opposing theory suggests that syphilis existed earlier in Europe, but became more virulent in the late 15th century.The new study, led by Kirsten Bos and Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, analyzed ancient DNA from skeletal remains in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. Using the latest paleopathology techniques, the researchers reconstructed five genomes of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium responsible for syphilis and the related diseases pian and bejel. These genomes date back 9,000 years, before Columbus' voyages.

            Preparation and Use of Guayaco for Treating Syphilis, after Stradanus,                                        1590, Museum Plantin-Moretus, CC0 1.0

“We’ve known for some time that syphilis-like infections occurred in the Americas for millennia, but from the lesions alone, it’s impossible to fully characterize the disease,” explained Casey Kirkpatrick, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute. The genomic analysis revealed that T. pallidum originated in the Americas during the middle Holocene epoch and subsequently diversified into the subspecies responsible for treponemal diseases today.


       Mosaic at the Metro Station Avenida de America, Madrid, representing the           discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus (l. 1451-1506 CE).                                                   Credit: Jack Cousinm Flickr

Dr Kirsten Bos said: "The data clearly support the hypothesis that syphilis and its known relatives originated in the Americas. Its introduction into Europe, starting in the late 15th century, is more consistent with the evidence." The study also suggests that the global spread of syphilis was facilitated by transatlantic human trafficking and European colonial expansion.

While the study provides compelling evidence for an American origin of syphilis, it does not settle all debates. Skeletal remains in Europe exhibiting syphilis-like lesions that predate 1492 challenge the Columbian hypothesis. “The search will continue to define these earlier forms, and ancient DNA will surely be a valuable resource,” said Johannes Krause, co-author of the study. He added, “Who knows what older related diseases made it around the world in humans or other animals before the syphilis family appeared.”

The study highlights the interdependence between human history and disease. Indigenous populations in the Americas suffered from early forms of syphilis and related diseases long before contact with Europeans. “While Native American groups carried the early forms of these diseases, Europeans were instrumental in spreading them around the world,” Bos said. European expansion not only spread syphilis to new regions, it also exposed indigenous communities to devastating outbreaks of foreign diseases such as smallpox.