[pepsi_junkie]

The question to me is “why didn’t the Europeans get previously unencountered diseases from the indians? Why was it only one way?”

[Red Badger]

They did.

Syphilis was the new king of diseases................

[Michael.SF.]

why didn’t the Europeans get previously unencountered diseases from the indians?

syphilis is one possibility. Although it was many years later, the men on the Lewis and Clark expedition had a very high percentage contract syphilis during the expedition.

[Poison Pill]

The question to me is “why didn’t the Europeans get previously unencountered diseases from the indians? Why was it only one way?”

There is a great book that deals with that question called "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond

[Tallguy]

Many diseases come from living in close proximity with domesticated animals. Native Americans also had some domesticated animals, but Europeans had many more, different animals than the Natives.

A good book about this is “Guns, Germs & Steel” by Jarred Diamond.

[Broker]

Syphilis, it seems, developed in the New World from yaws, perhaps 1,600 years ago, and was waiting for Columbus and his crew. The Rothschilds are now examining skeletal collections from the Bahamas to look for evidence of syphilis nearer to Columbus’ landfall.

[Ozark Tom]

Syphilis went to Europe on the return voyage.