"Medieval French Skeleton Unveils Surprising Syphilis Discovery"
A medieval French skeleton is challenging the established history of syphilis. Researchers extracted degraded DNA from a femur and identified sequences resembling T. pallidum, the bacterium responsible for syphilis. They also found evidence of an inflammatory immune response, indicating the presence of the disease. However, some experts argue that the organism may be a subspecies related to yaws. The discovery raises questions about the origins and spread of syphilis in Europe, potentially challenging existing historical narratives. It is speculated that Christopher Columbus may have carried a more lethal variant of the disease back to Europe, as he is believed to have suffered from syphilis-like symptoms towards the end of his life.