{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T14:13:16Z","timestamp":1780495996400,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763078400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum (subsp. pallidum), associated with severe symptoms culminating in cardiovascular complications or neurological damage. In the late 15th century, a syphilis epidemic occurred in Europe with an outbreak in Naples that caused numerous deaths and impacted people's lives, shaping their thoughts, behaviors, and language. Here, we traced the origin of syphilis, exploring its social implications and reviewing therapeutic approaches. Using examples of Neapolitan folk sayings, we illustrated how dialects preserve fragments of medical history. In conclusion, besides the impact of epidemics on human health, years later they continue shaping sociocultural traits, including language.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiaf576","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,11]],"date-time":"2025-11-11T13:16:38Z","timestamp":1762866998000},"page":"423-427","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Syphilis Transmission: Contagion of Bodies and Words"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"233","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1771-4531","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maurizio","family":"Bifulco","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d , Naples ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erika","family":"Di Zazzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences \u201cV. Tiberio\u201d, University of Molise , Campobasso ,","place":["Italy"]},{"name":"Unit\u00e0 Operativa Complessa Laboratorio Analisi, Ospedale \u201cA. Cardarelli\u201d , Campobasso ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Pagano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d , Naples ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1593-6656","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davide","family":"Orsini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Museum System of Siena, History of Medicine, University of Siena , Siena ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3887-6513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandra","family":"Affinito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d , Naples ,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1097\/YCO.0000000000000729","article-title":"Overview of behavioural and psychological consequences of COVID 19","volume":"34","author":"Kendrick","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr Opin Psychiatry"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4940","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20064940","article-title":"A middle-range theory of social isolation in chronic illness","volume":"20","author":"Iovino","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"717639","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.717639","article-title":"The native speaker in Italian-dialects bilingualism: insights from the acquisition of Vicentino by preschool children","volume":"12","author":"Sanfelici","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B4","first-page":"75","article-title":"Differentiation of proverbs and sayings","volume":"7","author":"Alibekovna","year":"2021","journal-title":"JournalNX"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B5","first-page":"283","article-title":"Diagnosis and management of syphilis","volume":"68","author":"Brown","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am Fam Physician"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-024-08515-5","article-title":"Ancient genomes reveal a deep history of Treponema pallidum in the Americas","volume":"640","author":"Barquera","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1177\/003591571200500333","article-title":"Discussion on syphilis","volume":"5","author":"Morris","year":"1912","journal-title":"J R Soc Med"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B8","author":"Diaz de Isla","year":"1539"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B9","volume-title":"L'altra faccia di venere. La sifilide dalla prima et\u00e0 moderna all'avvento dell'Aids (XV-XX sec.)","author":"Tognotti","year":"2016"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B10","first-page":"49","article-title":"Syphilis\u2014its early history and treatment until penicillin and the debate on its origins","volume":"20","author":"Frith","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Mil Veterans Health"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wneu.2021.09.056","article-title":"King Charles VIII of France's death: from an unsubstantiated traumatic brain injury to more realistic hypotheses","volume":"156","author":"Zanello","year":"2021","journal-title":"World Neurosurg"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B12","volume-title":"Le mal de Naples. Histoire de la syphilis","author":"Qu\u00e9tel","year":"1986"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B13","author":"Gourevitch","year":"2012"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B14","volume-title":"Notitia, et medela singularis adversus neotericos de morbo gallico, seu de lue venerea, Indica, Hispanica, Neapolitana, Italica, et eius symptomatibus","author":"Colle","year":"1628"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B15","volume-title":"La prostituzione in Napoli nei secoli XV, XVI e XVII: documenti inediti","author":"Di Giacomo","year":"1899"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B16","volume-title":"Storia d'Italia","author":"Guicciardini","year":"1835"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B17","volume-title":"Diario fiorentino dal 1450 al 1516","author":"Landucci","year":"1883"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B18","volume-title":"Memoriale dall'anno 1494 sino al 1502","author":"Portoveneri","year":"1845"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B19","volume-title":"Trattato del mal Francese, nel quale si discorre sopra 234 sorti di esso male","author":"Rostinio","year":"1559"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B20","volume-title":"Castigatissimi annali\u2026della eccelsa et illustrissima republica di Genoa da fideli et approvati scrittori\u2026accuratamente racolti","author":"Giustiniani","year":"1537"},{"key":"2026031710045133400_jiaf576-B21","volume-title":"Sulla storia de\u2019 mali venerei, lettere. 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