Christopher Columbus

Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have made a historic finding, revealing the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the remains of individuals who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. This marks the earliest known evidence of the pathogen, demonstrating that treponematoses, akin to syphilis, were afflicting humans long before Columbus's discovery of America. The discovery offers a unique glimpse into the ancient prevalence of diseases, reshaping our understanding of their impact on human populations throughout history.