I have often read about how when European explorers first landed in North and South America they introduced new bacteria and viruses which native Americans had no immunity to, causing huge health impacts to the native populations. But wouldn't it also have worked the other way around too? Wouldn't the explorers also have been exposed to new bacteria and viruses from the natives? And wouldn't some of the returnees carry those germs back to Europe, causing health impacts in Europe?
hi! this is quite a popular question in this sub - check out this bunch of previous posts in the FAQ (link on sidebar):