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Because we have had many population isolated. Indians never got black plague because Europeans isolated, but got smallpox when Europeans show up. Syphilis was deadly until making of penicilin, probably came back with Europeans from Indians. If whole world is connected then disease maybe can go through whole population.

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Prions infect animals of all sorts as well, so isolation of human populations is of lesser importance here.

If, say, oceanic fish were susceptible to some easily transmitted prions, you would have a worldwide epidemics in no time. Fish form a crucial part of almost all food chains on the planet.

I thought syphilis was from America, not India?

The Indians still had trade going with the middle east during the black plague, but by some magic it doesn't seem to have made it by land or sea

I think they mean American Indians aka native Americans.

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