Resumen

DIOMEDI P., Alexis. The biological warfare in the conquest of the new world: A historic and systematic review of the literature. Rev. chil. infectol. [online]. 2003, vol.20, n.1, pp.19-25. ISSN 0716-1018.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0716-10182003000100003.

Five centuries ago the European invaders arrived to the New World. They carried with them what turned out to be their main allies in the conquest of the continent: smallpox, measles and influenza viruses. In an attempt to recompose the process of dissemination of such diseases, a systematic review of the biomedical and historical literature was performed, to investigate how the Spaniards first, and the British later, used mainly smallpox to undertake a biological warfare against the American Indians, which eventually meant the biggest population catastrophe that America has never suffered in all its history

Palabras clave : Biological warfare; History; American indians; Smallpox.

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