Humans have suffered from infectious diseases for as long as civilization has existed, and new research has provided insight into the origins of syphilis, one of the most well-known STDs. The long-held notion that Christopher Columbus’s crew introduced syphilis to Europe has been called into question by the discovery of the oldest known evidence for the family of microbes that cause the disease, which was found in remains from the eastern coast of South America around 2,000 years ago.
The bacterium that causes syphilis and other treponemal diseases, Treponema pallidum, has ancient genomes that date the emergence of these infections back thousands of years, according to a study published in Nature. With the diversification of known T. pallidum lineages starting as long as 14,000 years ago, this result is significant since it implies that these diseases have been a human companion for a far longer period of time than previously believed.
Bone samples from human remains interred on the southern coast of Brazil around 2,000 years ago were analyzed to make the finding. The current subspecies that frequently causes bejel, a disease that is not commonly encountered in the Americas today, most closely resembled the retrieved genomes. This suggests that the historical range of T. pallidum subspecies differs from the current distribution.
Under the direction of archaeogeneticists Verena Schuenemann and Kerttu Majander of the University of Zurich, the study team used sophisticated laboratory techniques to find evidence of infectious DNA in ancient specimens. In order to separate the ancient DNA, they used sterile drilling instruments used by dentists to carefully remove small fragments of bone.
This study has significant ramifications since it challenges the notion that syphilis was brought to Europe after the colonization of the Americas and updates the evolutionary chronology of T. pallidum. Given the variety of T. pallidum strains found in Europe in the fifteenth century—some of which may have existed before Columbus’s return—it seems likely that the bacterium had been developing there for some time.
The study also suggests that treponemal infections may have originated in Africa or Eurasia and traveled to the Americas at least 15,000 years ago with the earliest human settlers. Alternatively, as T. pallidum can infect primates and other animals, including rabbits, the germs may have transferred from one animal host to humans.
According to the World Health Organization, 7.1 million persons between the ages of 15 and 49 contracted syphilis worldwide in 2020, making it a persistent global health concern. With quick tests and treatments like injections of benzathine penicillin, the illness is avoidable and treatable. But if syphilis is not treated, it can cause major health problems like heart and brain disorders.
Results from this study demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary research in further understanding the complex history of human diseases. With active research to find the roots of Treponema and its subspecies, this study represents an essential addition to our knowledge with respect to infectious diseases and their impact on human history.
The different subspecies of Treponema could therefore cause syphilis through different modes hence it would seem that the origin of Treponema is, in essence, the origin of syphilis. In light of this facts, it is highly improbable that syphilis was imported from the Americas to Europe in the fifteenth century because it can be proven that strains of Treponema existed on that continent. These treponemal diseases may have originated in either Africa or Eurasia and subsequently spread to the Americas with the very first peoples, or the bacterium migrated from an animal host to humans.
Apart from rewriting the history of syphilis, ancient DNA evidence in Brazil also serves as a grim reminder about how long the association between people and infectious diseases has been. Thus, this evidence points to the vigilant need for continuance of research against the archaic enemies.
