Syphilis bacteria already existed in Brazil 2000 years ago – DW – 01/25/2024

A team of researchers has discovered traces of bacteria in Brazil (treponema pallidum) which causes syphilis in 2,000-year-old human remains is the oldest record ever discovered, as detailed this Wednesday (01/24/2024) in the journal Nature.

Historically, the first epidemic of syphilis in Europe was recorded in 1493 after the siege of Naples by French troops. Since its origins were unknown, some have speculated that T. pallidum arrived in Europe with the crew of Christopher Columbus, returning from America; Others claim that she was in Europe for some time, but her identity has not been established.

The “strongest” evidence

The study suggests that there is a possibility that the bacteria were introduced from the Americas: “This is the most convincing and reliable evidence that treponema existed in South America before the arrival of Columbus, a hypothesis that has until now been assumed, but this has not been confirmed,” – explains co-author Fernando González Candelas, professor of genetics at the University of Valencia.

Before this study, other studies had found indirect evidence in human skeletal remains in Central America that “was consistent with treponematoses, but also with other diseases. Therefore, the existence of treponema in South America has not been confirmed,” he emphasizes.

Origin of treponematoses

The discovery of bacteria at the Habuticabeira necropolis sheds light on the intricate origins of treponematoses, diseases caused by different subtypes T. pallidum: syphilis (venereal), bejel (not sexually transmitted) and yaws, transmitted by skin contact.

“What we found are bacteria of the bejel lineage, which today are found in arid, dry and hot climates, very different from Brazil 2,000 years ago, with a tropical and humid climate,” explains González Candelas.

At least 500 years before Columbus.

By reconstructing the genomes of the bacteria that infected them, the researchers discovered that the pathogen responsible was a subsp. T. pallidum endemicumclosely related to the modern species causing bejel.

This discovery confirms previous suggestions that American civilizations suffered from treponemal infections in pre-Columbian times and that treponemal disease was already present in the New World at least 500 years before Columbus sailed.

How did you get to Europe?

The study cannot confirm the origin of the bacteria that causes syphilis, and cannot guarantee that it actually arrived in Europe with Columbus’s expeditions. In fact, a study by the same authors published in 2020 found a “reasonable” possibility that T. pallidum was in Europe before Columbus left for America.

They based their hypothesis on evidence of treponematosis that they found in human remains from Finland, Estonia and the Netherlands from the early 15th century (before the expedition to America) until the 18th century.

Limitations in tracing the origin of syphilis

This study found that these people suffered from syphilis and yaws, a disease that is found today only in tropical and subtropical regions, and demonstrated “through genomic evidence” that syphilis was present in Europe in the modern era, but “we could not establish that this was before the return of Columbus’s first expedition,” the expert comments.

To do this, it would be necessary to identify the problems of the syphilis lineage before Columbus’s voyage to America and “see the same lineage appear later in Europe, exactly the same,” which has not happened yet, he concludes.

Yu (efe, phys.org, The Conversation)