You have seen that many deadly epidemics occurred in the past and devastated populations in various parts of the world. Social conditions can contribute to disease and lead to outbreaks, epidemics, and even pandemics. You will learn about the causes of epidemics in this activity. 

You learned previously that, in the past, explorers went to places where the people had previously been isolated from contact with people from other places. The explorers unknowingly introduced various new things to the "new land." Unfortunately, among the new things unknown even to the sailors were viruses or germs the people were not accustomed to. Their bodies had no way of protecting them from the new diseases. The populations of many Indigenous peoples were largely destroyed by diseases introduced from other cultures.

The image above is a drawing done by an Indigenous artist showing someone infected with smallpox.

You will learn more about the way your body protects itself from infections in later lessons.

Another factor related to social or living conditions that contributed to the spread of disease, especially in the past, is hygiene. Before people understood much about the way diseases are transmitted, they did not do many of the things you know now you should do to protect from germs:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

• Wash your hands after working or playing with animals; avoid contact with wild animals and birds.

• Protect yourself from insects such as mosquitoes.

• Be sure your drinking water is clean.

Before these ideas were commonplace, many diseases were spread through communities with deadly results. 

A third factor related to the spread of some epidemics is the attitude people sometimes have toward illness. In some cases, diseases such as leprosy were seen as a punishment on the people who became ill for having been unclean or having done something to displease the gods. Blaming the sickness on the person was not and is not helpful in preventing the spread of disease, however!