Disease

Disease was a very large problem in Urban life. Humans, animals, and several different types of waste products were collecting in most of the residences. Unlike hunter-gatherers that often moved when filthy situations occurred, sedentary farmers could not. The large numbers of people and animals and close living quarters aided disease by spreading contagious illnesses. Even though medicine is around today, millions of people battle the same diseases that our ancestors did so many years ago. These illnesses include smallpox, tuberculosis, measles, influenza, and malaria.