AFTER
The picture (left) is a potato plant that contains the curl virus. The photo shows that once the plant is infected, it is inedible. The potato was still, however, depended on to be Ireland's main export and a strong part of the diet. It was difficult for the people to adjust. Although dairy and meat used to be a main portion of the food the Irish ate, it was not very common in villages and towns as much as it used to be. This led to mass starvation. Of course, since the people were desperate for a meal, they became careless in what they ate, leading to disease.