Syphilis is believed to have originated in the Americas and was brought to Europe by the crew of Christopher Columbus after their voyages in the late 15th century. Genetic and archaeological evidence strongly supports the "Columbian hypothesis," which states that syphilis emerged in the Americas thousands of years ago and was introduced to Europe around 1492. The first recorded major outbreak in Europe was in 1494/1495 during a French invasion of Naples. However, there is ongoing scholarly debate, as some skeletal evidence suggests similar treponemal diseases may have existed in Europe before Columbus. Recent ancient DNA research also indicates that while the bacterium Treponema pallidum (which causes syphilis) circulated in the Americas long before European contact, the sexually transmitted form of syphilis likely evolved around the time of contact between Europeans and Americans.
