Do Sydney’s disease histories challenge pathogen avoidance theory?

For the past two decades there have been various theses and antitheses regarding the idea that the disgust reaction evolved to support pathogen avoidance. Pathogen avoidance theory maintains that human self-preservation is dependent on avoiding, sublimating or destroying microbes. At first glance, disgust would appear to be a spontaneous and immediate reaction to a perceived threat. Yet it is also learned over time, and can even be unlearned, in that it is possible to challenge an understanding of what is disgusting.

This paper will use examples from the shift in response to uncertainty in medical knowledge during the first outbreak of plague in Sydney as well as turn of the century tuberculosis prevention, as an evidence base to argue that disgust has a kind of plasticity that has been mobilised to change practices following the development of new epidemiological knowledge.

While disgust may protect people from actual toxicity, it is also adapted to distance us from an array of perceived threats, many of which are not pathogenic and can be operationalised to regulate behaviour. This paper uses examples from medical history to intervene in this debate, arguing that disgust is not an intrinsic form of pathogen avoidance but is endlessly shaped by culture and epistemological change.
 

Philippa is a multilingual professional with extensive experience in publishing, technology, and education across Australia and Europe. Her research focuses on social, political, and emotional responses to biological and chemical threats. Her first book, Uncertainty and Emotion in the 1900 Sydney Plague (Cambridge University Press, April 2024), examines how symbolism and discourse shape emotions during times of medical uncertainty.
Her current project explores how air pollution crises in northern Italy have led to aesthetic interventions without significantly improving air quality. Philippa has taught and published in medical anthropology, global health, and the history and philosophy of science. With 20 years of experience, she has applied strategic research to product and campaign development across the not-for-profit, government, and commercial sectors. Her personal interests include ocean swimming, musical events, and surf life saving.