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Brits' Plan in 1788 to Stop Smallpox May Have Backfired

New modeling suggests a British effort to stop smallpox in 1788 may have actually introduced the deadly disease to Australia.

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📍 Where it landed

New research suggests smallpox scabs used by British doctors to inoculate patients may have introduced the disease to Australia. Modeling indicates the resulting 1789 outbreak from the First Fleet killed as many as 220,000 Indigenous Australians.

Epilogue added 42d ago, after coverage quieted.

The obvious questions

How many Indigenous Australians are estimated to have died in the 1789 outbreak?

Modelling reveals as many as 220,000 Indigenous Australians died during the early outbreak.

What is the suspected source of the smallpox outbreak?

Research suggests the epidemic came from the First Fleet and may have been introduced through smallpox scabs used by British doctors for inoculation.

What method was used to determine the scale of the mortality?

Researchers used stochastic models to indicate the rapid spread and mass mortality of Indigenous Australians.

The story so far

Research indicates that a smallpox outbreak in Sydney in 1789 resulted in the deaths of as many as 220,000 Indigenous Australians. New findings suggest the disease may have been introduced via smallpox scabs that British doctors used to inoculate patients.

Coverage from Nature, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Conversation emphasizes the use of stochastic modeling to reveal the rapid spread and mass mortality following colonial exposure. Other reports from Phys.org, EurekAlert!, and Nine.com.au focus on the estimated death toll linked to the First Fleet.

Future attention focuses on the research regarding the role of the First Fleet and the specific mechanisms by which the 1788 inoculation plans may have backfired.

Synthesized by Newsylist from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 42d ago.

The reporting (9)

Velocity

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6420Jul 11 14:29Jul 13 05:29 UTC

People, places & organizations

Study Sydney Modelling Modeling Australians Brits Plan Stop Smallpox May Have Backfired First Fleet Indigenous Australians Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used

Topics

Australia Smallpox First Fleet Indigenous Australians Sydney

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