Discovering the Ancient History of Syphilis-like Diseases in America: A Groundbreaking Study from the Universities of Basel and Zurich

The history of infectious diseases has played a significant role in global health, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the advancement of modern laboratory methods, researchers can now detect the tiniest traces of DNA from pathogens in prehistoric finds, allowing them to trace back how these diseases spread historically and their evolutionary development. In a groundbreaking study published in the prestigious journal Nature, researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich have made a remarkable discovery: the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum was found in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. This is the oldest verified discovery of this pathogen thus far, and it provides compelling evidence that humans were suffering from diseases akin to syphilis—known as treponematoses—long before Columbus’s discovery of America.

The study, led by Professor Verena Schünemann from the University of Basel, challenges previous theories concerning the spread of syphilis by the Spanish conquistadors. The researchers used dentists’ drilling tools to remove minuscule samples of bone under sterile conditions and isolated prehistoric genetic material belonging to the syphilis pathogen from those samples. Their findings demonstrate that all the bacterial genomes that have been investigated can be attributed to the Treponema pallidum endemicum strain, which leads to bejel. Treponematoses are a group of infectious diseases that includes the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. While syphilis as a venereal disease presents a global health risk, bejel, which is spread by skin contact, only occurs today in very arid regions of Africa and Asia.

The discovery of treponematoses in South America 2,000 years ago raises questions about the origin of sexually transmitted syphilis. Intense debates are still ongoing among specialists and medical historians concerning whether Christopher Columbus’s sailors and soldiers brought sexually transmitted syphilis from the New World to the Old upon their return in 1492. The illness spread rapidly from the end of the 15th century onwards, particularly in harbor towns. However, the fact that the findings represent an endemic type of treponemal diseases, and not sexually transmitted syphilis, leaves the origin of the sexually transmitted syphilis still unsettled.

The researchers consider that there is a lot to suggest that treponematoses were already widespread in Europe before Columbus’s time. Earlier discoveries by Schünemann’s group, for example in Finland and Poland, suggest that some forms of treponematoses already existed in Europe. The team is confident that advances in the analysis of prehistoric DNA could also lead to the discovery of the origin of venereal syphilis.

The study also sheds light on the evolutionary development of Treponema pallidum. A comparison between the prehistoric DNA in the bones from Brazil and today’s pathogens shows that recombination events have taken place. These exchanges are likely one of the driving mechanisms in the divergence between the subspecies that cause different treponemal infections. The DNA comparison also allows the date of the Treponema pallidum family’s emergence to be deduced. The team’s investigations show that these pathogens arose at some point between 12,000 and 550 BCE, which is much further back than previously assumed.

The findings from this study have significant implications for our understanding of the history of infectious diseases. They challenge long-held beliefs about the spread of syphilis and provide new insights into the evolutionary development of Treponema pallidum. The researchers’ work demonstrates the importance of using modern laboratory methods to study prehistoric finds and the potential for uncovering new knowledge about the history of diseases.

In conclusion, the study led by Professor Verena Schünemann from the Universities of Basel and Zurich has made a groundbreaking discovery: the oldest verified discovery of syphilis-like diseases in America, which predates Columbus’s arrival. The findings challenge previous theories concerning the spread of syphilis and provide new insights into the evolutionary development of Treponema pallidum. The study highlights the importance of using modern laboratory methods to study prehistoric finds and the potential for uncovering new knowledge about the history of diseases.

References:

Schuenemann, V., Majander, K., Pla-Díaz, M., et al. (2024). Redefining the treponemal history through pre-Columbian genomes from Brazil. Nature, 612(7881), 335-339.

University of Basel. (2024, January 24). Syphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before Columbus, new study finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240124163352.htm

Nature. (2024). Syphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before Columbus. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06965-x

University of Basel. (2024, January 24). Editors’ notes: Syphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before Columbus. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06965-x#Sec1

University of Basel. (2024, January 24). Press release: Syphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before Columbus. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/2024/01/Syphilis-like-diseases-were-already-widespread-in-America-before-Columbus.html