Why were Native Americans ravaged by European diseases like smallpox, but Europeans didn't suffer from Native American diseases?

by yeadoge

I'm reading Aztec by Gary Jennings and he's talking about how smallpox spread like wildfire among the Mexican population when the Spanish arrived. I know there are similar accounts in Native American history. Why don't I ever hear of Europeans suffering from diseases common to the Americas?

thefloorisbaklava

Here's some discussions from the FAQ:

• When Europeans brought diseases to the new world, how come Europeans themselves didn't get sick from diseases specific to the new world?

• Why were the Spanish not destroyed by pathogens native to the Americas?

• How come we only hear about indigenous tribes getting diseases from colonists, explorers, invaders, etc but not the other way around?

• Why was Europe less affected by American diseases than the Americas were by European ones?

• We know native Americans were wiped out partly by the spread of European diseases; however did Europeans have any problems with American diseases?

Malaria and yellow fever came to the Americas and wiped out countless European colonists.