title: Microbes, warfare, religion, and human institutions.
abstract: A significant number of practicing microbiologists are not aware of the historical impact of infectious agents on the development of human institutions. Microbes have played a profound role in warfare, religion, migration of populations, art, and in diplomacy. Boundaries of nations have changed as a result of microbial diseases. Infectious agents have terminated some kingdoms and elevated others. There is a need for microbiologists to have a historical perspective of some of the major ways in which a pathogen may influence civilized populations. Conditions may exist in contemporary society for a repeat of some of the kinds of plagues suffered by previous societies. The purpose of this paper is to review examples of situations where pathogenic microbes have forced societal modifications on centers of human population.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000635:transmission; D001694:Biological Warfare; D002771:Cholera / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007239:Infections / Q000635:transmission; D009181:Mycoses; D010930:Plague / Q000635:transmission; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012899:Smallpox / Q000453:epidemiology; D012961:Sociology; D014857:Warfare