Lecture03
Plagues of antiquity (past)
Egyptian civilization – recent
Predominant diseases during hunter-gatherer society
Vector not required for transmission, goes through stages – egg, larva, etc.
Move to agriculture and the emergence of epidemic diseases
Disease occurred because of agricultural revolution
Emergence of cities – urban life
New diseases related to crowding
Plagues of Antiquity – 5000BC to 700AD
Characterized by parasites with long live transmission stages
oMove around from person to person contact
Pharaoh’s Plague
Dates back to 1900BC
First appeared in the Nile Valley of Egypt – agriculture and irrigation started
Created a situation that promoted certain diseases to occur
Snail fever or blood fluke disease
Transmission stages -> ingested by water
It wasn’t until 1799-1801 Europeans invade Egypt
Currently, 1 million deaths annually
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Plague of Athens
Vines and olive trees, production of wine and oil
Interested in shipping and commercial transactions
By the end of the dark ages, two powerful states emerged
In 431BC a war emerged between the two cities, Spartan forces were greater than
Athenians, outcome of the power was impacted by the plague of Athens
430BC – Route: Ethiopia, into Egypt, then Athens
High death rates including “Pericles”
Identity of this plague- unknown to this day
The Roman Fever
Roman empire established in 27BC
Relied heavily on agriculture, changes to the composition of the soil (soil erosion,
deforestation), created environment for certain vectors
Malaria became prevalent
Thought to result from the ‘bad air’
Epidemics every 5 to 8 years
Reduced life expectancy
The Antonine Plague
AD 166
Brought over from Mesopotamia
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