Advertisement
A new study suggests that Christopher Columbus, the explorer who has long been accused of bringing syphilis from the New World to Europe, may have been wronged.
Researchers found treponematoses in archaeological human remains in Finland, Estonia and the Netherlands before Columbus. The research results were recently published in "Contemporary Biology".
Verena Schünemann, professor of paleontology at the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, said in a university press release: “It seems that the earliest known syphilis cases in Europe cannot be attributed to Columbus.”
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, now it can be completely or even easily cured if detected early. But in Europe in the late 15th century, the syphilis epidemic killed millions of people in the following two centuries.
Advertisement
The researchers also found evidence of other related bacteria in the remains. This bacterium causes the so-called yaws disease - a chronic contact infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum, and syphilis is a disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which still exists today in tropical and subtropical regions.
By analyzing the genetic code of bacteria, researchers found that all the precursors of modern syphilis may have evolved between the 12th and 16th centuries.
However, the diversity of the newly discovered syphilis bacterial family may indicate that the disease originated or developed in Europe, which overturned the long-standing theory that Columbus and his sailors’ four voyages brought the germs back to the European continent.
Although syphilis can be cured when it is detected early, it is still a rapidly spreading disease. The latest data from the World Health Organization show that there were 6 million new cases of syphilis worldwide in 2016.
Advertisement
- Previous article
- Woman Found a 3.69 Carat White Diamond
- Next article
- Vaughan Jones, The Geat Mathematician, Has Died
Advertisement
OTHER NEWS
Walking: The Best Exercise
BY Irene
Does Eating Lunch at Your Desk Make you Feel Stressed
BY Lillian
Mirror Movement Disorder
BY Diane
Have you Ever Heard of the Batman Effect?
BY Wanda
Virtual Reality Therapy Can Help People Cope with Eating Disorders
BY Pamela
What is the ultimate speed of sound transmission?
BY Christine,Einstein
RECENT NEWS
-
Santander World Elite™ Mastercard®: The Perfect Travel Companion
-
The Buy Now Pay Later Space Is Getting More Competitive in Europe, As New Startups Sprout Up
-
Argentina Mourned Over Maradona’s Death for Three Days, Why a Football Player Could Own Such an Honor? (II)
-
Argentina Mourned Over Maradona’s Death for Three Days, Why a Football Player Could Own Such an Honor? (I)
-
007’s File Was Actually Hidden in Poland
-
A Small Town Named Fucking in Austria