While most of history credited Christopher Columbus for ferrying syphilis into Europe from the New World, new studies say this is no longer so. According to researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, syphilis cases dating back to the 14th century have been discovered. The findings, which evidenced several cases, not just of syphilis but of congenital syphilis indicate that this disease had been around and had been quite common in Central Europe even before Columbus was born.
Syphilis, which is caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria is said to display such symptoms as sore throat, rashes, heart illness, damage to the blood vessels and brain that may trigger stroke, heart disease, dementia and paralysis. Advanced cases may lead to death.
The skeletons, which provided the basis for the Viennese scientists' claim, were dug from Austria's Cathedral Square in St Pölten. The researchers analysed the odd tooth structure of the skeleton.
Study authors Karl Großschmidt and Fabian Kanz of the Medical University of Vienna explain that the dental effects, which include the mulberry molar along with a tapered, fang-like canine suggest the occurrence of congenital syphilis.
When syphilis is congenital, such as when a pregnant mother passes the disease to her unborn child, the teeth provides an identification for this condition. Such was the case of the 14th century skeletons. Before the Viennese discovery, a Roman skeleton from Croatia was also said to have shown signs of syphilis infection.
The study then clearly absolves Christopher Columbus of this infamy: "In 1495, a 'new' disease spread throughout Europe: syphilis. Christopher Columbus is said to have introduced the sexually transmitted disease from his trip to America."
"This is the first probable case of congenital syphilis from pre-Columbian central Europe. Our findings contribute to the pre-Columbian theory, offering counter evidence to the assumption that syphilis was carried from Columbus's crew from the New to the Old World."
