The voyage of Columbus led to the spread of syphilis to Europe.

The discovery of the New World by the Old World had a massive impact on subsequent events. It appears likely, but not certain, that the syphilitic epidemic in Europe may have been an imported affliction. It is impressive to appreciate how little was known in 1492 about infectious diseases and how much has been learned since the later decades of the nineteenth century. Syphilis represents the first major infectious disease for which discovery of etiology, development of a diagnostic test, and effective therapy was achieved, a major accomplishment of modern medicine.