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WI the tsetse fly was present in tropical regions of Asia, with a similar effect of spreading sleeping sickness among human and animal populations? More than any other single factor, IMO, tsetse and sleeping sickness are to blame for the lack of large urbanised civilizations in subSaharan Africa. With comparatively low populations ravaged by the sickness, and the disease ravaging livestock, many of Africa's most promising and fertile regions were never able to be properly utilised for most of human history.

What happens if we extend those same effects to Asia? A deep time PoD where the tsetse was present in Asia from prehistory would change everything to such an extent as it would be difficult to say what would happen. Perhaps human penetration of southern India and southeast Asia would be slower, with no humans reaching Australia and the Pacific? Too broad, I think.

How about, somehow or other, the tsetse spreads throughout southeast Asia within human history? I'm not sure how to bring this about, but how about the Malays? Could they somehow introduce the fly and the host of African trypanosomiases to Asia between 200 and 500 AD? That leaves enough of real history for us to play around with.
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