What caused the taino population on hispaniola to drop from 500,000 to a few hundred by 1542?

The cause of the mass drop of population of Hispaniola before 1542 was due to the Smallpox outbreak. The first outbreak of smallpox, occurred during December 1518 or January 1519. The Smallpox Outbreak, claimed the lives of almost 90% of the Native Americans. By 1548, the population of Taino had declined and lessen to fewer than 500 people.