5,500-Year-Old Colombian Skeleton Holds Oldest Evidence of Syphilis

January 31, 2026 Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor Health

Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text:

* Oldest T. pallidum Genome: Researchers have isolated the oldest genome of T. pallidum (the bacterium that causes syphilis) from a 5,500-year-old skeleton found in Colombia.
* Earlier Association with Humans: This discovery pushes back the known association of T. pallidum with humans by thousands of years.
* Unique Lineage: The genome, named TE1-3, represents a different lineage than any previously identified subspecies of T. pallidum.
* Divergence Time: Researchers estimate that TE1-3 diverged from modern lineages around 13,700 years ago, suggesting the bacterium was circulating in the Americas much earlier than previously thoght.
* No Skeletal Lesions: Surprisingly, the skeleton containing the ancient genome didn’t show the typical bone damage (moth-eaten appearance) usually associated with treponemal diseases.
* Transmission Debate: The genome doesn’t clarify whether this early form of treponema was sexually transmitted like venereal syphilis.
* Long Evolutionary History: the research highlights a long and complex evolutionary history of these pathogens in the Americas.