Immunity

EamonnKeane

When the Spanish invaders reached America, the European diseases they brought killed of millions of natives because they had low immunity to smallpox, chickenpox etc. But what I want to know, why weren't the Spanish killed off by American diseases?

Panserborn

They got a few of them. Syphillis was one unfortunate one they aquired as far as I remember.

John

The American diseases just weren't as nasty essentially. But as panserborn said they did pick up diseases and bring them back to Europe. Bastards.

Pet

Also, didn't the natives tend to live in tribes? Hence they didn't have a whole lot of contact with others, so the spread of disease was very controlled, and thus their immune systems would not have been as efficient.

DrIndy

smallpox was particularily nasty and the settlers gave american indians blankets of smallpox victims to ensure they were infected.

They probably picked up a few diseases of their own over there, there are a few nasties, although few are transmissible from human to human.