How do we explain the almost unilateral flow of pathogens from Europe to the Americas, despite relatively high population densities in Mexico and Peru? The infectious diseases that evolved to infect humans in the wake of the Neolithic Revolution originated in domesticated herd animals. There were many of these animals in Eurasia, including pigs, sheep, cows, goats and horses.[31] Guinea pigs, dogs, turkeys, Muscovy ducks, alpacas and llamas had all been domesticated in different parts of the Americas. But of these, the only herd animals were alpacas and llamas, which were found exclusively in
...more
While reading, I had been wondering why diseases common amongst those inhabiting Central & South America hadn't ravaged European conquistadors.
The explaination given here, that herd animals in the Americas were isolated geographically and gravitated toward solitarity, meant that dieseases were less likely to develop in its population. The explaination seems sufficient. It's just strange that even lesser diseases within the American communities (akin to influenza) didn't effect conquistadors.
It would seem from a European perspective that Europeans were more robust humans, thereby affirming their ensalvement of native inhabitants.
