Christopher Columbus’s expedition to the Americas arrived with diseases on boardWilliam J. Aylward/Granger Historical Picture Archive / Alamy
It is common knowledge that microbes hitched rides on long sea voyages like that of Christopher Columbus. But it was never inevitable that diseases like smallpox and measles would survive these early ocean crossings, which took a month or more. Now, researchers have used mathematical modelling to predict the historical risk of pathogens lingering in a ship’s population long enough to disembark with passengers.
“These ships aren’t just carrying a pathogen like it’s an extra piece of cargo – it…
How diseases like smallpox survived long ocean voyages
Related Posts
Archaeologists discover unique artwork in England dating back to the early 2nd century
Excavations at Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire, England, have unveiled an ancient mosaic dating back to the early second century. The 2,000-year-old Roman mosaic depicts dolphins and fish on colorful white,…
Sri Lanka to vote on Saturday in first poll since economic collapse – SUCH TV
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president on Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity plan enacted after the island nation’s unprecedented…