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The oldest version of Treponema from the jungle is rewriting the history of medicine.
Syphilis has long been etched into human history. It is believed that famous figures like Bram Stoker and Vladimir Lenin may have contracted it. Scientists also know that the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis, has been present in humans for centuries, perhaps even millennia. However, the exact origin of syphilis and other treponemal infections, such as bejel and yaws, remains a subject of debate.
The traditional theory links the first recorded outbreak of venereal syphilis to 15th-century Europe and suggests that the disease was brought from the Americas after colonization. However, recent discoveries have complicated this picture. Traces of Treponema have been found in the remains of Europeans living before the time of Columbus, and it remains unclear at what point the bacterium became predominantly transmitted sexually.
A new study takes the history of these diseases even further back in time. Scientists sequenced the genome of a T. pallidum strain found in the bones of a man who lived approximately 5,500 years ago in what is now Colombia. This discovery is considered the oldest genetically sequenced sample of this bacterium and pushes back the evolutionary chronology of treponemal infections by approximately 3,000 years compared to previous data.
The microorganism's DNA was discovered by chance during an analysis of bone remains. Researchers compared the ancient genome with modern and historical samples of T. pallidum and concluded that this strain emerged significantly earlier than all known subspecies. This means that diseases of this kind in ancient times were much more diverse than they are today and could have affected humans and, possibly, other hosts differently.
The most well-known form, venereal syphilis, is transmitted primarily through sexual intercourse. In its early stages, it presents with ulcers at the site of infection, fever, and severe fatigue. Without treatment, it can lead to brain and heart damage, vision loss, and damage to the nervous system and bones. It is impossible to determine how the individual whose remains provided the material for sequencing the ancient strain was infected.
Reconstructing the spread and evolution of such diseases helps us better understand how ancient communities lived and the threats they faced. Regarding the origin of modern syphilis, scientists emphasize that its current form emerged significantly later than this ancient Treponema strain. The question of where and when exactly it developed remains open.
Syphilis has long been etched into human history. It is believed that famous figures like Bram Stoker and Vladimir Lenin may have contracted it. Scientists also know that the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis, has been present in humans for centuries, perhaps even millennia. However, the exact origin of syphilis and other treponemal infections, such as bejel and yaws, remains a subject of debate.
The traditional theory links the first recorded outbreak of venereal syphilis to 15th-century Europe and suggests that the disease was brought from the Americas after colonization. However, recent discoveries have complicated this picture. Traces of Treponema have been found in the remains of Europeans living before the time of Columbus, and it remains unclear at what point the bacterium became predominantly transmitted sexually.
A new study takes the history of these diseases even further back in time. Scientists sequenced the genome of a T. pallidum strain found in the bones of a man who lived approximately 5,500 years ago in what is now Colombia. This discovery is considered the oldest genetically sequenced sample of this bacterium and pushes back the evolutionary chronology of treponemal infections by approximately 3,000 years compared to previous data.
The microorganism's DNA was discovered by chance during an analysis of bone remains. Researchers compared the ancient genome with modern and historical samples of T. pallidum and concluded that this strain emerged significantly earlier than all known subspecies. This means that diseases of this kind in ancient times were much more diverse than they are today and could have affected humans and, possibly, other hosts differently.
The most well-known form, venereal syphilis, is transmitted primarily through sexual intercourse. In its early stages, it presents with ulcers at the site of infection, fever, and severe fatigue. Without treatment, it can lead to brain and heart damage, vision loss, and damage to the nervous system and bones. It is impossible to determine how the individual whose remains provided the material for sequencing the ancient strain was infected.
Reconstructing the spread and evolution of such diseases helps us better understand how ancient communities lived and the threats they faced. Regarding the origin of modern syphilis, scientists emphasize that its current form emerged significantly later than this ancient Treponema strain. The question of where and when exactly it developed remains open.
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