[lizma]

Syphilis was in Europe well before 1492. From what I can tell it's been around since the dawn of time, at least for the people who grew up around the Mediterranean sea. It's alleged that Augustus Caesar was afflicted by hereditary syphilis.

North and South America had their own form of the bacteria, yaws and pinta

We brought syphilis and small pox to the New World and in exchange we took back the potato. Not a very PC exchange.

[blam]

"We brought syphilis and small pox to the New World and in exchange we took back the potato. "

A population explosion occurred in Europe due to the importation of the potato. There are over 2,000 varieties of potatoes in South America and unfortunately only 1-2 are in widespread use. The Irish paid the price in the mid-1800's for having only one variety that was ravished by a fungus and many died as a consequence.

[CobaltBlue]

Read the article linked by Blam in post 32. Here is another on the topic.

"The syphilis enigma": the riddle resolved?