For many years, researchers have held the belief that congenital transmission of diseases was unique to syphilis, leading to the idea that syphilis originated with Christopher Columbus’ explorations. However, new findings regarding ancient remains might shake up this long-standing belief about syphilis and challenge the notion that it started in the Americas.
A study published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology in March examined 309 individual remains from 16 archaeological sites spread across Vietnam, dating back between 10,000 and 1,000 years. Interestingly, only three children (aged 18 months, five years, and two-and-a-half years) showed signs of congenital treponematosis, which includes diseases like syphilis, yaws, bejel, and pinta.
The skeletal remains from these children, found at the Man Bac site in northern Vietnam and An Son in the south, were dated to about 4,100 to 3,300 years ago. They exhibited distinct dental abnormalities and skeletal lesions that suggest the disease could be congenital yaws rather than syphilis itself.
Dr. Melandri Vlok, the study’s lead author from Charles Sturt University, pointed out that their research suggests the previous assumption regarding congenital transmission might not be accurate. “Other treponemal diseases may also have been passed from mother to child,” she noted.
Investigating the Roots of Syphilis in Vietnam
Earlier studies at Man Bac indicated that around 10% of individuals buried there likely had treponemal diseases. Notably, these were more common among children and young individuals, which aligns with the understanding that many non-venereal treponemal diseases spread through skin contact rather than sexual means.
Vlok remarked, “The epidemiological evidence of the site suggests a non-venereal type of treponemal illness. Yet, we still find signs of congenital transmission, which is quite unexpected.”
She added that if non-venereal treponematoses can indeed be transmitted congenitally, we may need to reconsider how we evaluate skeletal evidence from historical contexts. Cases that were previously classified as congenital syphilis may actually be different diseases entirely.
This new perspective challenges a significant aspect of the theory claiming that Columbus introduced syphilis to Europe from the New World. Nicola Czaplinski, a doctoral student in health sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia, commented via email, “It shows that we still have a considerable distance to cover in unraveling the origins of syphilis.”
