Christopher Columbus’ voyages of discovery were pivotal in world history. The Western Hemisphere was profoundly transformed, both biologically and culturally, by exchanges of plants, animals, and diseases, which were introduced deliberately and sometimes accidentally, by Columbus and those who followed him. Eventually, the process of encounter and exchange that Columbus initiated, affected the Old World as well, altering the flora and fauna, reorganizing the ethnic composition of countries, and changing the diet and health of peoples everywhere.

Arguably, infectious diseases had the most impact on the world following the initiation of contact by Columbus and his men. Native Americans suffered 80-90% population losses in most of America with influenza, typhoid, measles, and smallpox taking th

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