American and Peruvian doctors and ecologists have found that the construction of a transcontinental road connecting Peru and Brazil has accelerated the spread of the dengue fever virus in the western part of the Amazon, writes the journal "Nature", BTA reported.
As a result, the number of annual cases of infection has increased fourfold compared to 2009.
"The Earth's tropical regions are rapidly transforming due to the construction of transport infrastructure, but so far we know little about the consequences for the health of the population of the implementation of these projects," the researchers write.
The construction of a transcontinental road through the isolated Madre de Dios region of Peru in 2009 provided the authors of the study with an opportunity to examine how the implementation of this project affected the spread of the dengue virus.
Over the past two decades, highway construction has been actively carried out in the Amazon, connecting previously scattered and isolated regions of Brazil, Peru and their neighboring countries. In total, the countries plan to build more than 12,000 kilometers of highways, which should improve the economic situation in the region, notes Andrés Lezcano of the "Caetano Heredia" University in Peru.
Medical and environmental scientists have shown interest in how the construction of one of the largest projects of its kind - a 2,600-kilometer transport corridor connecting Peru and Brazil - has affected the spread of various pathogens.
To this end, scientists have collected statistical data on the number of dengue and leishmaniasis infections in the Madre de Dios region, which was isolated from the rest of Peru until the construction of the highway.
The analysis conducted by scientists shows that the frequency of leishmaniasis infections has hardly changed, while the spread of dengue has sharply accelerated in settlements located five kilometers from the highway.
The number of annual cases of infection with this virus has increased fourfold since the construction of the road.
Scientists suggest that the accelerated spread of the disease is associated with an increase in population density. population, increased traffic between settlements and increased mobility of dengue vectors.
Researchers also assume that the construction of the road has helped the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread dengue to penetrate the region, but so far there is no clear evidence for this.
According to scientists, further observations will help to understand exactly how the construction of the highway accelerated the spread of the virus.
The dengue virus is one of the flaviviruses, which also include the causative agents of Zika, tick-borne encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever and a number of other dangerous diseases. This pathogen is widespread in the tropical and equatorial regions of Eurasia, Africa and America, where it is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 400 million people are infected with dengue every year, for which there is currently no treatment or vaccine.