In the 18th century, one in five Londoners had contracted syphilis by the age of 35. But where did the infectious disease come from?
The first known outbreak of syphilis in Europe was at the turn of the 16th century. But, on the distant continent of South America, the history of the pathogen goes back much further in time. A 5,500-year-old skeleton discovered in Colombia contains the oldest evidence that syphilis came from the Americas.
A study this Thursday in Science revealed details of a 5,500-year-old skeleton discovered at an archaeological site in Colombiawhich provided DNA from the spiral-shaped bacteria Treponema pale.
This lineage, called TE1-3is no longer circulating currently. However, it is known that it belongs to a “sister lineage of early divergence”. It appears to have separated before other subspecies responsible for diseases such as syphilis have spread throughout the world.
As noted by , the discovery goes back by about 3,000 years evidence of the existence of calls treponemal diseases.
It also appears to confirm , joining a growing body of genetic evidence from other regions of South and Central America.
This is because, in Europe, the first outbreaks of syphilis occurred shortly after the explorer Christopher Columbus returns from his trip to the Americas and, as a result, the two events became historically associated.
Today, genomics researchers are unraveling these deep, winding roots using ancient DNA. A growing body of evidence from ancient bones suggests that diseases similar to syphilis were present in the .
New study does not resolve controversy
The new study estimates that the divergence between TE1-3 and other lineages of T. pale it occurred about 13,700 years ago — long before agricultural expansion in the Americas.
It is also important to point out that the fact that the oldest known evidence of a disease similar to syphilis was found in South America does not mean that it was confined exclusively to this continent.
Although more controversial, there continue to be scientists who maintain that treponemal diseases and strains closely related to the Americas, suggesting that T. pale existed on both continents before the explorer connected them.
