Mosquito Empires

Mosquito Empires

After reading Mosquito Empires my analytical question is: how may have McNeil downplayed the influence of cultural and social conditions as an explanation for outbreaks of disease? Throughout this book McNeil provides endless amounts of data and information that support his position that stresses the importance of ecology and geopolitics on disease. McNeil presents an argument that emphasizes the blended impacts of geopolitics and ecology but this left me with the question is he downplaying other factors in relation to cultural and social conditions. My analytical question is an attempt to examine what other factors may have contributed to the outbreaks of disease that McNeil may have dismissed as primary causes.

McNeil defends his position by providing climate, geography, and environmental conditions as root causes to the outbreaks of disease. However, I was left wondering how social conditions such as poverty, poor labor conditions, and even medical education may have contributed to the spread of disease. Although McNeil doesn't dismiss these factors completely one might suggest that he downplays the importance of these factors. My analytical question is simply an attempt to discover the relationship between all of the factors that contributed to the outbreaks of disease instead of just focusing on a few factors that may or may not have been the most important causes. While McNeil presents a powerful argument, he could have supported his position by spreading the importance of the contributing factors more equally.

My analytical question stems from various sections of the book but one example in particular, helped me raise this question. In his discussion on the end of the American Revolution, McNeil's suggests that malaria was the decisive factor in ending the American Revolution. He states, "had malaria not hamstrung Cornwallis, he might well have been able to hold South Carolina and Georgia indefinitely, and the Loyalists he counted on might have rallied to his side in greater numbers" (McNeil, 233). Certainly it would have been advantageous for Cornwallis to have access to more healthy soldiers but one may argue that doesn't necessarily serve as the decisive factor. Therefore, this example could serve as a possible scenario in which McNeil may or may not have downplayed the significance of malaria being a decisive factor in the outcome of the war.

I chose my analytical question because I feel it will help someone identify the various factors that caused outbreaks of diseases which help shape the course of history. This question should be beneficial in analyzing the factors in which they feel were significant in causing disease outbreaks and would allow people to come to various conclusions. Although McNeil presents a convincing argument this question would allow someone to determine the factors they felt were most important