Such was the great epidemic in the Fiji Islands in 1874, and those which occurred in the South Sea Islands and among Native American Indians in the Americas. In isolated communities, everyone may become immune by exposure to infection and the virus disappears. This results in a new generation which is universally susceptible to the disease. It is a disease of civilization, a classic 'crowd' epidemic disease which requires large numbers of people to persist. Although the virus comes from dogs or cows, the critical mutation only occurred just after the emergence of urban centers.
Treatment is symptomatic.
An effective vaccine is available. CJ '99 Resources Cartwright, F. Disease and History . Cohen, M. Health and the Rise of Civilization . Yale University Press, 1989. Ewald, P. Evolution of Infectious Disease .