Why did so many people have syphilis up until recent times?

The disease wasn't recognized until around 1500 C.E. in Europe and the awareness of germs as a cause was not present. People from one town blamed it on those from another, or from one area of Europe blamed it on other countries or areas. read more

During 2016, there were 88,042 reported new diagnoses of syphilis (all stages), compared to 39,513 estimated new diagnoses of HIV infection in 2015 and 468,514 cases of gonorrhea in 2016. 1, 2 Of syphilis cases, 27,814 were primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis, the earliest and most transmissible stages of syphilis. read more

Up until the early 20th century the most popular theory on the origin of syphilis was that it was a new disease, contracted by Columbus’ men in the New World and introduced to the Old World after their return to Spain on 15th March of 1493. read more

A more recent, modified version of the Columbian theory that better fit skeletal evidence from the New World, and also"absolved the New World of being the birthplace of syphilis", proposes that a nonvenereal form of treponemal disease, without the lesions common to congenital syphilis, was brought back to Europe by Columbus and his crew. read more