Paleogenomics has finally solved a question that has puzzled researchers for decades: Where did syphilis come from?

The implications of this research are manifold. The study paints a grim picture of colonialism’s unintended consequences.

KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on syphilis, medical sexism, euthanasia, the year's best public health books, and more.

New DNA research from ancient skeletons has revealed that syphilis and its related diseases were present in the Americas long ...

A new study published in the journal Nature provides compelling evidence that syphilis originated in the Americas and spread ...

Many now believe the history of syphilis in Europe began long before Columbus, and the late 15th century pandemic happened for reasons independent of new contacts. But neither theory has been ...

In spring 1495, the Italian campaign of Charles VIII of France was interrupted by an intense outbreak of an apparently ...

New research on ancient DNA traces syphilis origins to the Americas, shedding light on the 15th-century outbreak in Europe.

For centuries, scientists have disputed the origins of syphilis. A new study of ancient DNA supports an American origin for ...

In spring 1495, the Italian campaign of Charles VIII of France was interrupted by an intense outbreak of an apparently ...

New analysis of historic DNA suggests the sexually transmitted disease travelled eastwards with the Italian navigator’s crew ...