<prompt> Translate the following text to EnglishPunde si punde, tauni, kipindupindu, na ugonjwa wa chembechembe zikaathiri sana idadi ya watu, na idadi hiyo ilipungua kwa nusu katika miaka michache tu.  <response>: Measles, cholera, and syphilis soon riddled the population, which was cut in half over just a few decades. 