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The Appearance of Plagues

There were many things that attributed to the spread of plagues throughout history. To honestly sum it up, the largest factor was modernization and advances in technologies. Some major factors affecting growth of population were tool making, the agricultural revolution, and the scientific-industrial revolution.

Hunter Gatherer

Roamed large distances following herds of wild game which they depended on for survival. They moved often, so there were not very many children since they could be hard to care for in those types of conditions. They were in small isolated groups; therefore, the spread of illness was less likely. The few illnesses that they would get could have came from things such as: microbes from the wild animals, lice, fleas. The few illnesses they could have gotten are types like yellow fever, malaria, brucellosis, and salmonellosis which are all carried by wild animals.

Agriculture and Domestication of Animals 8000 BCE

The agricultural revolution led to a sedentary lifestyle. People learned how to grow crops, as well as domesticate animals. Populations began to become much denser and not as isolated. Some of the things that encouraged the spread of disease are humans and animals sharing water supplies, infestation of rodents, insects like mosquitos, and nutrient deficiencies due to lacks diversity in diets. Animal domestication became a primary source of human disease. Main reasons behind animals becoming the primary source was their accumulation of waste which attracted the insects, birds, and rodents. 

Modern Day Causes and Issues

Some modern day causes of disease can be attributed to things such as clearing the forest and killing off all the wild game in an area. Disease carrying insects and animals like mosquitos now have to look for a new source of blood which unfortunately happens to be humans. They are vectors for malaria, yellow fever, and African sleeping sickness. Also, sitting water can be a paradise for mosquitos. Another disease that occurs with a sedentary lifestyle is Typhoid. Typhoid is spread through the oral-fecal route and is usually a result of contaminated water.

Conclusion

In closing, the spread of diseases can be directly connected to a more sedentary lifestyle. It is shown by the examples of water pollution, animal vectors, and simply poor hygiene.