What diseases spread on pirate ships? – Anika, 9, Georgia
melissamayerDear Anika,
A pirate’s life was dangerous. They attacked other ships and battled other pirates as well as the law. But they were also at the mercy of another foe: sickness.
I talked about this with my friend Lawrence Hatter. He’s a history professor at Washington State University.
He told me the big era for pirates was 1710 to 1730. It was a time when lots of sailors were out of work. Some of them became pirates.
Here are four kinds of disease they might face on the job: scurvy, mosquito-borne diseases, infectious diseases and gangrene.
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