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Ancient Brazilian genomes may hold the secrets of treponemal evolutionary history

Study reconstructs four ancient treponeme genomes from 2,000-year-old Brazilian remains, revealing their close relation to the bejel-causing Treponema pallidum endemicum and challenging previous hypotheses about treponeme subspecies adaptability.

25 Jan 2024

Ancient DNA reveals syphilis-like disease in pre-Columbian America

Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have discovered the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago.

24 Jan 2024

Europeans could have been infected with syphilis before Columbus set sails to America

Columbus brought syphilis to Europe – or did he? A recent study conducted at the University of Zurich now indicates that Europeans could already have been infected with this sexually transmitted disease before the 15th century.

13 Aug 2020

More evidence emerges to support that progenitor of syphilis came from the New World

Skeletons don't lie. But sometimes they may mislead, as in the case of bones that reputedly showed evidence of syphilis in Europe and other parts of the Old World before Christopher Columbus made his historic voyage in 1492.

21 Dec 2011