What were some illnesses that voyageurs would get in the Fur Trade?
Voyageurs were susceptible to a variety of illnesses while working in the fur trade, including:
- Pneumonia: This was a leading cause of death among voyageurs due to the harsh and often cold conditions they worked in.
- Scurvy: A disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, which was often not found in the voyageurs' diet.
- Dysentery: A disease caused by bacterial infections in the intestines, often caused by contaminated water.
- Measles: A highly contagious disease that can be fatal, particularly in children.
- Smallpox: Another highly contagious disease that was often introduced by European traders and could spread rapidly through indigenous communities.
- Typhus: A disease caused by bacteria spread by lice and fleas, which were common in the crowded living conditions of voyageur trading posts.
- Tuberculosis: This bacterial infection often affected the lungs and was difficult to treat in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Yellow Fever: While less common in Canada, voyageurs who traveled to the southern United States could have been exposed to yellow fever, a mosquito-borne viral infection.
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