01949nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260000900042653001300051653002600064653003100090653001100121653002600132653002600158653002600184653002600210653002600236653002100262653001100283653002800294653002800322653001100350100001300361245003600374300001100410490000700421520120500428022001401633       1993                            d  c199310aAmericas10aCommunicable Diseases10aEmigration and Immigration10aEurope10aHistory, 15th Century10aHistory, 16th Century10aHistory, 17th Century10aHistory, 18th Century10aHistory, 19th Century10aHistory, Ancient10aHumans10aIndians, North American10aIndians, South American10aTravel1 aGuerra F00aThe European-American exchange.  a313-270 v153 a<p>The European-American exchange of infectious diseases was responsible for the demographic havoc of the native population in the New World after 1492. Prior to this date medical writers describe the presence in Spain of viral diseases like influenza, parotitis, smallpox, measles, poliomyelitis, and rabies; there were also rickettsiasis, diphtheria, salmonellosis, plague, tubercolosis, leprosy, malaria, scabies and tinea. In America, before European arrivals, there were no records of human viral diseases, though there were records of rickettsiasis, treponematosis--pinta, yaws and syphilis--leihsmaniasis, amibiasis and perhaps leprosy. With the discovery of America in 1492, Columbus's sailors were contaminated by yaws and spread this disease into Europe. In 1493 influenza, as a zoonosis, was introduced into Santo Domingo and was responsible for the annihilation of the natives of the Antilles in less than a quarter of a century; in 1518 smallpox was also introduced in Santo Domingo and then to the American continent by negro slaves: by the same means measles were introduced in 1531. The previous existence or introduction of other infectious diseases in America is also discussed.</p>  a0391-9714