What disease contributed to the perception of Africa as the "White Man's Grave"?

The perception of Africa as the "White Man's Grave" is primarily attributed to malaria. This disease was particularly lethal for European colonizers and explorers who ventured into Africa, as they had little immunity to it. The environment in many parts of Africa, particularly the tropical regions where malaria is endemic, provided optimal breeding grounds for the Anopheles mosquito, the vector responsible for transmitting the disease.

European accounts and writings from the 19th century often recounted the hardships and high mortality rates faced by white settlers due to malaria, reinforcing the narrative that Africa was a dangerous and inhospitable place for them. This contributed to a widespread perception that the continent was perilous for outsiders, hence the grave metaphor.

While tuberculosis, smallpox, and typhus certainly affected populations in Africa and posed health risks, they did not have the same immediate and pronounced impact on European perceptions of the continent as malaria did. Malaria's specific threat to Europeans during the colonial period made it the disease most closely associated with the moniker "White Man's Grave."