Why did infectious diseases become more common with the agricultural revolution?

• A. Increased population density and close contact with domesticated animals facilitated the spread of pathogens.
• B. The use of advanced antibiotics during the agricultural revolution eradicated most infectious diseases.
• C. People developed stronger immune systems, making infectious diseases less common.
• D. The agricultural revolution led to the complete elimination of disease vectors.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of the Agricultural Revolution: it was a period when humans transitioned from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled farming and domestication of animals.
2. Recognize that increased population density occurred because people lived in larger, more permanent communities, which allowed pathogens to spread more easily from person to person.
3. Consider the role of domesticated animals: close contact with these animals introduced new zoonotic pathogens (diseases transmitted from animals to humans), increasing the variety and frequency of infectious diseases.
4. Evaluate the incorrect options: advanced antibiotics did not exist during the Agricultural Revolution, so they could not have eradicated diseases; stronger immune systems would reduce disease prevalence, which contradicts the increase; and disease vectors were not eliminated by agriculture.
5. Conclude that the main reason infectious diseases became more common was due to increased population density and close contact with domesticated animals, which facilitated the spread of pathogens.