Which introduced diseases caused major population losses among Indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin?
Following the European conquest, Indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin experienced catastrophic population losses due to the introduction of several infectious diseases to which they had no prior immunity.12
The primary diseases responsible for these major population declines included:
These illnesses, which were endemic in Eurasia and Africa, devastated native populations that had not previously been exposed to them. The impact of these diseases was compounded by the physical and psychological trauma of slavery and forced labor, particularly during the rubber boom and organized raids known as bandeiras. This combination of factors led to a complete breakdown of traditional native life, forcing many survivors to flee into increasingly remote and inaccessible sections of the Amazon basin.12