Volume 16, Number 2—February 2010
Historical Review
New Hypothesis for Cause of Epidemic among Native Americans, New England, 1616–1619
John S. Marr
and John T. Cathey
and John T. Cathey
Table 2
Factors related to some of the postulated causes of an epidemic among Native Americans, New England, 1616–1619*
| Factor | Yellow fever | Plague | Influenza | Smallpox | Chickenpox | Typhus | HBV/HDV | Leptospirosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic signs and symptoms | ||||||||
| Headache/fever | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jaundice | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Hemorrhages | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Skin lesions† |
Bruises |
Buboes |
No |
Pustules |
Rash |
Rash |
No |
Rash |
| Epidemiologic | ||||||||
| High attack rate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes‡ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High death rate | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Endemic in Europe | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Suitable arthropod vector | No | Yes | NA | NA | NA | Yes | NA | NA |
| Suitable reservoir host | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Native susceptibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| European susceptibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*HBV, hepatitis B virus; HDV, hepatitis D virus; NA, not applicable. †Sign mentioned by only 1 person (Thomas Dermer) and possibly referred to another unrelated disease outbreak. ‡Native Americans only.
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