Overview of diseases encountered by pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer communities.

• Initial diseases likely originated from animals, soil, and water.
• Evidence of tuberculosis and treponemal infections in ancient remains.
• No widespread epidemics in pre-agricultural times due to small community sizes.

The rise of agriculture brought new diseases and widespread epidemics.

• Agriculture led to poor waste and water management, causing diseases like dysentery.
• Standing pools of water from agriculture became breeding grounds for mosquitoes spreading malaria.

Urbanization led to the easy spread of infectious diseases and notable pandemics.

• Densely populated areas allowed diseases like measles, smallpox, and the flu to thrive.
• The Black Death was one of the deadliest pandemics, killing millions globally.

Wealth and access to medical care influenced the spread and treatment of diseases.

• The wealthy could isolate to avoid diseases like the Black Death.
• Access to medical care was divided by class, impacting survival rates.

The Industrial Revolution exacerbated the tuberculosis epidemic.

• Industrialization's poor living conditions led to the spread of TB.
• TB killed a significant portion of Europe’s population, with the poor often going untreated.

Advances in medical science have improved the average lifespan and disease management.

• Vaccines and improvements in hygiene and nutrition have increased life expectancy.
• Rapid testing and mRNA vaccines are tools to combat outbreaks quickly.

Despite medical advances, many regions lack access to vaccines and treatments.

• Malaria and TB remain prevalent in regions like Africa and Southeast Asia.
• Accessible treatments and new medicines are necessary to address these persistent diseases.