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Where I live, I have to have this conversation way too often with people. (thelemmy.club)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Grumpus_Maximus@thelemmy.club to c/historymemes@piefed.social
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[-] cjoll4@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, Europeans caught syphilis from indigenous Americans, and without any existing immunity to it there was a genuinely terrifying pandemic in Europe with worse symptoms than present-day forms of the disease (and no penicillin to treat it).

But indigenous Americans caught smallpox, measles, influenza, and typhus from Europeans, so it really wasn't a fair exchange.

[-] pomegranatefern@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago

That's where syphilis came from?? Man, I really do learn so much from this community.

this post was submitted on 09 May 2026
568 points (100.0% liked)

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