African germs took numerous European lives and deterred permanent settlements. Diseases such as yellow fever, sleeping sickness, yaws, and leprosy made Africa a very inhospitable place for Europeans. The deadliest disease was malaria, endemic throughout tropical Africa. In 1854, the discovery of quinine and other medical innovations helped to make conquest and colonization in Africa possible.
Ezek nagy része ma is ott van, becslések szerint csak a malária sok ország GDP-jének 30%-át viszi el. Azóta pedig van AIDS meg egyéb nyalánkságok...