We often hear indigenous peoples died from disease introduced by European settlers in North and South America. If indigenous peoples there were susceptible to eradication by unfamiliar disease why is the same not true of disease and death to settlers? Or is it true but more easily overcome?
In: Biology
Diseases introduced to the Americas by Europeans included smallpox, yellow fever, measles and malaria, plus strains of typhus and influenza. Settlers also got sick and died of these diseases, but in smaller numbers because the settler population had brought with them immunity acquired from community exposure to them. Since the indigenous people had had no exposure there was no immunity in the community and they were hit harder and the diseases were more deadly.
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