New Study Challenges Columbus Connection to Syphilis Origins.

A groundbreaking study published in Nature analyzed 2,000-year-old bones found in Brazil using paleopathology techniques, revealing the earliest genomic evidence of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium causing syphilis. Contrary to the theory that syphilis originated from the Americas and was brought to Europe by Columbus, the findings suggest a more complex history. The recovered genome, dating back 12,000 years, indicates a global distribution of T. pallidum subspecies, challenging the notion that Columbus' expeditions triggered the 15th-century syphilis epidemic in Europe. The study highlights the need for further research on ancient genomes to unravel the mysteries of syphilis distribution.