Question

Prior to arrival to the Americas of people from the western regions of Eurasia , small pox was not an especially virulent or lethal disease in Europe. In the Americas, syphilis was similarly of a mild nature. Yet to Europeans syphilis was lethal as was small pox to the first Americans. Study geography of Eurasia and the Americas and develop an scientific hypothesis why this occurred.

Answer 1

It was found that syphilis was lethal to Eurasia but mild to America whereas the smallpox was lethal to America and not to Eurasia. The smallpox was a disease which was brough to the America by the Europeans and it was more lethal to America. It was lethal to the native America and led to epidemic. This is because of the biological traits of the native America which made them more susceptible to smallpox. It was during Columbus’s first voyage to America which brought smallpox to America and this led to its spread. The biological trait of the Americans made it more lethal for the Americans. The Syphilis is more lethal to the Eurasia population and it was carried to Europe from America while during the return of Columbus voyage. The reason why small pox was more lethal in America and syphilis more lethal in Europe is because of the mutation of the virus as it moves across the continents due to the change in the environment. They caused more contamination and transmission due to favorable biological traits.