Christopher Columbus may have brought syphilis from the New World. The sexually transmitted disease that became widespread in Europe in the late 15th century originated in the Americas, according to a new study.
Researchers led by Germany’s Max Planck Institute have found ancient genomes of pathogens in skeletal remains from North and South America from the time before Columbus’s voyage of discovery in 1492, they announced on Wednesday in Leipzig. This is evidence of the introduction of America to Europe.
The colonial period saw many diseases brought to the Americas from Europe – with devastating consequences for the indigenous people there. According to the Max Planck researchers, the origin of syphilis was still unclear. The first epidemic with high mortality and severe physical and mental damage among survivors was an outbreak in Europe in the spring of 1495. This was historically the first detection of syphilis.
Venereal diseases were circulating in the Americas even before Columbus
The researchers were now able to reconstruct and analyze five ancient genomes of syphilis and related pathogens from Mexico, Chile, Peru and Argentina. The new data shows that America was a center for the syphilis, frambosi and bejel families of diseases even before Columbus arrived. The indigenous people of the Americas therefore suffered from the earliest forms of this disease. The Europeans then served as explorers and colonial masters as multipliers for further dissemination.
Source: Krone
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