Topic: Research News
A new study reveals that a smallpox outbreak in 1789 killed between 40,000 and 220,000 Indigenous Australians. The disease spread quickly through Aboriginal communities in southeastern Australia. Researchers used modeling to confirm the origin of the outbreak.
In 1789, a devastating smallpox outbreak occurred in Sydney, Australia. This outbreak was caused by the arrival of British ships, known as the First Fleet. Smallpox is a highly contagious and deadly disease that causes fever, severe illness, scarring, and high death rates.
The study found that the epidemic had a significant impact on Indigenous communities in southeastern Australia. The researchers used modeling to test two possible origins of the outbreak: one from European colonizers and another from Makassans visiting northern Australia. They found that the disease was unlikely to have originated from the north, but rather from the First Fleet.
The study's lead author, Dr. Cody Nitschke, said,
Implications
A new study reveals that a smallpox outbreak in 1789 killed between 40,000 and 220,000 Indigenous Australians. The disease spread quickly through Aboriginal communities in southeastern Australia. Researchers used modeling to confirm the origin of the outbreak.
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