Pandemics Cause Misery and Death, But They Also Created Agriculture and Put Humans on Top of the Food Chain
History Unplugged Podcast
00:00
The Epidemiology of Malaria and Yellow Fever
In medieval maps, West Africa is portrayed as an incredibly wealthy part of the world. But malaria and yellow fever were devastating for any Europeans that tried to settle in the region. This creates a perceived asymmetry where African adults don't seem to be affected at all but European adults who just arrive are absolutely devastated by disease. And there's good reason for this: mortality rates for colonial settlers in the region in the 18th and 19th century was between 40 and 70%.
Transcript
Play full episode
