Abstract

MEDINA BUSTOS, José Marcos  and  FELIX ROSAS, Hiram. An Invisible Epidemic: The Smallpox Outbreak of 1869-1871 in Sonora. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2017, vol.38, n.152, pp.67-108. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v38i152.355.

This article examines the epidemic of smallpox that occurred in 1869-1871 in the state of Sonora, Mexico. It first discusses the place of this outbreak among the epidemics of the 19th century and then its consequences at the national level, in an effort to broaden our knowledge of its endemic and epidemic character. The high mortality it caused substantiates the notion that by those years smallpox had ceased to be a significant factor of depopulation. Also analyzed are its sociodemographic impacts on different age groups and economic sectors, to demonstrate that the bulk of deaths occurred in generations posterior to those affected by earlier epidemics, especially sectors with modest economic resources, including indigenous peoples. Our findings confirm that while vaccination campaigns were able to prevent smallpox epidemics, applications were highly inconsistent, given the inability of the institutions involved to carry out systematic programs.

Keywords : Sonora; demographic history; epidemics; smallpox and vaccination.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )