Germ Theory of Disease notes

Historical Context of Infectious Diseases

• In the 1500s, the term "contagion" was used to describe how diseases spread among individuals.

• Human infectious diseases likely existed as long as humanity, with ancient Egyptians suffering from various infections as observed through paleopathology.

• Hippocrates (460 BC) first introduced the concept of contagion, describing several infectious diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis.

• Ancient Greeks documented the Plague of Athens, and Romans experienced the Antonine Plague around 165 AD.

• The Byzantine Empire recorded the Plague of Justinian in 545 AD.