@article{fdi:010079760,
  title = {{E}pidemic of venereal treponematosis in wild monkeys : a paradigm for syphilis origin},
  author = {{M}ediannikov, {O}leg and {F}enollar, {F}. and {D}avoust, {B}. and {A}manzougaghene, {N}. and {L}epidi, {H}. and {A}rzouni, {J}. {P}. and {D}iatta, {G}eorges and {S}okhna, {C}heikh and {D}elerce, {J}. and {L}evasseur, {A}. and {R}aoult, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}reponema pallidum infections have been primarily known as slightly contagious mucocutaneous infections called yaws (tropical {A}frica and {A}merica) and bejel (subtropical {N}orth {A}frica). {T}. pallidum emerged as a highly infectious venereal syphilis agent in {S}outh {A}merica, probably about 500 years ago, and because of its venereal transmission, it quickly caused a worldwide pandemic. {T}he disease manifests as lesions, including a chancre; then antibodies become detectable when or slightly after the chancre appears, and before the development of a rash and other systemic manifestations. {V}enereal diseases are poorly known in monkeys. {D}uring fieldwork in {S}enegal, we discovered an epizootic outbreak of venereal disease that we explored. {W}e detected a venereal form of {T}. pallidum subsp. pertenue infection in green monkeys ({C}hlorocebus sabaeus), then observed an epizootic outbreak in {S}enegal and its spread among baboons a year later. {C}omparative analysis of {T}. pallidum genomes from the monkeys' chancres and other {T}reponema genomes showed an acceleration of the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms, comparable to that observed in syphilis. {I}dentified {T}. pallidum clones seem to be epizootic through the acceleration of their mutation rate, which is linked to their larger diffusion.},
  keywords = {{B}aboon ; {G}reen monkey ; {S}enegal ; {S}yphilis ; {T}reponema ; {W}est {A}frica ; {SENEGAL}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{N}ew {M}icrobes and {N}ew {I}nfections},
  volume = {35},
  numero = {},
  pages = {100670 [ p.]},
  year = {2020},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100670},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010079760},
}