Was there any kind of oral or recorded history of mass epedemic in pre-colonial Africa?

I strongly believe that epidemics and toxic diseases came with the advent of whiteman in africa

With industrializations came pollutions and with toxic pollutions came outrageous unnatural diseases nnd epidemics.

with all our assorted mosquitoes and eating of assorted bush animals such as gorilla, lack of hygiene etc not too surprised we have epidemics in africa.

But how come there is so much deadly cancers in the west,even with all the sanitizations?

We've all hard maleria,but ii didn't kill us,some how,we out grew it.

redsun:

We've all hard maleria,but ii didn't kill us,some how,we out grew it.

Is this not one of the reasons west Africans were popular, and in high demand during the slave trade, or am I mistaking?

redsun:

But how come there is so much deadly cancers in the west,even with all the sanitizations?

some cancers are caused by heavy meatals like lead and mercury. some by toxins created in the prodution of rubber, plastics, clothing dyes, fertilizers ect. some are naturlay occuring. animals, fish, plants can all develop varing degrees of cancer. many cancers have existed for thosands of years, only with advancements of medicine have we been able to identify those cancers. 3,000 years ago life expectancy was only 35-40 years now its 75-80 (adverage). the diseases arnt new, they are things that were once considered death by old age or natural causes. the last 30 years or so coronors no longer even have that option for cause of death. Some cancers preent similar to other diseases so doctors from previous generations didnt identify them, lung cancer presents very similar to pnemonia (dificulty breathing and the lugs fill with fluid in the final stageges) another similar issue was that people would not tell anyone of thier illness because of how people would look at them. 100 years ago death from tb was called complications becuse of the stigma attached to such a diagnosis but the disease existed even prior to that.

pics of trees with cancer ( http://www.belgiumview.com/belgiumview/tl3/view0004333.php4, http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/53/453/9/75/0/2928975000056206750aFehyP_th.jpg, http://farm1.static.flickr.com/117/308860253_d1f22b0a5b_t.jpg)

Pneumonic plague, Bubonic plague, Froehlich´s Syndrome, Marfan´s syndrome, tularemia, paeans, and choral have been traced to ancient egypt.



http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0310_040310_blackdeath_2.html
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/akhenaten.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WN2-4CYR1J1-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=a9b101c30b3362d17d5ca4f66fadb9b4
http://www.slashdoc.com/documents/77753

Nice informations,but it still does not explain whether there was any epidemic or major plagues in pre-colonial sub-sahara africa.The only one i have heard of is that of influenza of post 1st world war that started as a result of whiteman's toxic and destructive gases used in the war.

I have not in any form,either by folk stories or oral history like it is in africa heard of any uncontrollable epidemic  and mass deaths among our ancestors,if there was,somehow,they could have passed on the story orally.

When i was growing up in nigeria,seeing a disable child was rare sight,apart from may be nothern polio disasters,but these days,children with celebral palsy are common sights in nigeria like it is in the west.What could be responsible?is it westernization,chemicalization,industrialization or what?

I strongly believe that man made chemical and pollution is a serious threat to humanity and nature itself.

redsun:

Nice informations,but it still does not explain whether there was any epidemic or major plagues in pre-colonial sub-sahara africa.The only one i have heard of is that of influenza of post 1st world war that started as a result of whiteman's toxic and destructive gases used in the war.

I have not in any form,either by folk stories or oral history like it is in africa heard of any uncontrollable epidemic and mass deaths among our ancestors,if there was,somehow,they could have passed on the story orally.

When i was growing up in nigeria,seeing a disable child was rare sight,apart from may be nothern polio disasters,but these days,children with celebral palsy are common sights in nigeria like it is in the west.What could be responsible?is it westernization,chemicalization,industrialization or what?

I strongly believe that man made chemical and pollution is a serious threat to humanity and nature itself.

When you search for epidemics of ancient Africa you find typhoid, malaria, cholera, tularemia, hemorrhagic fever, rubella, yellow fever, typhus fever, Ebola, bubonic plague, dengue fever, influenza, sleeping sickness, Lassa fever, meningitis, parasites including trypanosome and prions, elephentitus, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and measles. Others are listed by generic terms like the shongi plague, Athenian plague, Justinianic plague and the Axum epidemic. Ancient region of Kenya, Uganda, and Zaire are referred to as the plague reservoir because many disease including Ebola, bubonic plague, HIV and pnenonic plague have been traced there.

Cerebral palsy is caused in uetro by lack of oxygen/nutrients or blunt force trauma as well as mothers who become pregnant over the age of 35 are at a higher risk because the eggs have begun to break down. It can be caused before the child’s 2nd birthday by head trauma or allergic reactions to foods/plants/medications/animal bites.