Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Post-1492, Indigenous populations lacked immunity to Old World pathogens. Mortality rates of 50–90% were common.
| Disease | Pathogen | Transmission | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | Variola virus | Respiratory, contact | Most lethal; recurring pandemics (1518, 1545, 1617, 1780s). |
| Measles | Morbillivirus | Airborne | High child mortality; synergized with malnutrition. |
| Influenza | Orthomyxovirus | Airborne | Rapid spread; seasonal waves. |
| Typhus | Rickettsia prowazekii | Louse-borne | Explosive in crowded missions, reductions. |
| Yellow Fever | Flavivirus | Mosquito (Aedes) | Tropical lowlands; high case-fatality. |
| Malaria | Plasmodium spp. | Mosquito (Anopheles) | Endemic in lowlands; chronic debilitation. |
| Tuberculosis | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Airborne | Slow, worsened by other infections. |
| Diphtheria | Corynebacterium diphtheriae | Respiratory | Childhood killer. |
| Whooping Cough | Bordetella pertussis | Airborne | Infant mortality. |
Disease interacted with warfare, enslavement, displacement, famine, and cultural disruption—together causing the greatest demographic catastrophe in human history.