Newser July 09, 2026 • 17:16

Brits' Plan in 1788 to Stop Smallpox May Have Backfired - Newser

By John Johnson

Brits' Plan in 1788 to Stop Smallpox May Have Backfired - Newser

Ships arriving in Australia may have had scabs from survivors intended as a preventative

A fresh analysis of an old scourge suggests smallpox likely slipped into Australia not via sick sailors, but via jars of infected scabs. Two new preprint studies, now accepted by peer-reviewed journa… [+1219 chars]

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