# Is syphilis zoonotic? (Or, can Llamas have syphilis?)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 23, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203 "2005-01-23T04:34:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203/1 "2005-01-23T04:34:56Z")

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OK, so [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5752563) thread has made me curious.

Can a llama get syphilis? Or is it an entirely human disease?

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203/2 "2005-01-23T04:56:42Z")

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I love this board SO fucking much!

I can’t find a definite answer by googling, because syphilis seems to be discussed online mostly in conjunction with other spirochete-caused diseases like leptospirosis and Lyme, which ARE zoonotic, and that confuses things.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203/3 "2005-01-23T05:03:44Z")

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Apparently animals do not normally become infected, and there is no animal reservoir. However, rabbits have been infected with the disease in experimental studies.

There is in fact a rumor, dating to Spanish colonial times, that llamas carry syphilis, but as far as I know that has no basis in fact.

Evidence of syphilis was found in a 11,000 year old bear skeleton from Indiana, but I am not aware of other archeological evidence from animals.

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203/4 "2005-01-23T05:08:44Z")

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Ha! My Mom told my brother, sister, and me that syphilis came from men having sex with sheep. I guess that was baaaad information.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-syphilis-zoonotic-or-can-llamas-have-syphilis/286203/5 "2005-01-23T12:47:31Z")

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> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> Ha! My Mom told my brother, sister, and me that syphilis came from men having sex with sheep. I guess that was baaaad information.

\< Insert compulsery joke about Sheep/Scots/Kilts here. \>

Sigh.

Carry on.