Using ancient DNA extracted from bones, researchers found evidence that syphilis and related diseases such as yaws and bejel were common in the Americas long before Columbus’s voyages.
The disease, which emerged in Europe in 1495 and caused mass deaths and “long-term health problems”, is believed to be the first recorded case of syphilis in Europe. The study’s findings support the “Colombian theory” that syphilis crossed the Atlantic with Spanish and Portuguese explorers.
The study analyzed ancient genomes from Mexico, Chile, Peru and Argentina and found that these diseases were diverse in the Americas before European contact.
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Source: Ferra
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