A study has found traces of syphilis-like disease in prehistoric remains, which may challenge the idea that the disease began its origins in the Americas. The study compared 309 individuals from 16 archaeological sites across Vietnam from 10,000 to 1,000 years ago to three children who bore evidence of congenital treponematosis, a group of diseases that include syphilis, yaws, bejel, and and pinta. The researchers believe that only syphilis could transmit these diseases, which have traditionally been believed to have originated from the Americas, may not always hold true. The discovery challenges the theory that Christopher Columbus brought syphilis to Europe from the New World.