Community perceptions of health and rodent-borne diseases along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios, Peru

A research paper examining community and healthcare provider perceptions of rodent-borne diseases in four communities along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios, Peru, finding a significant gap between the presence of rodents and the awareness of associated health risks.

• While 90% of survey participants recognized that rodents can transmit diseases and reported seeing them in their homes and surroundings, most were unable to name specific diseases and viewed rodents as pests or nuisances rather than health threats.
• Key informants perceived an increase in rodent populations following the construction of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, but this trend was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in perceived risk or knowledge of diseases.
• Healthcare providers in the region lack specific diagnostic tools for rodent-borne illnesses, which may lead to the underestimation of the disease burden and exposure risk for conditions like leptospirosis, potentially resulting in unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Community perceptions of health and rodent-borne diseases along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios, Peru. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/community-perceptions-of-health-and-rodent-borne-diseases-along-the-inter-oceanic-highway-in-madre-de-dios-peru/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Community perceptions of health and rodent-borne diseases along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios, Peru. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/community-perceptions-of-health-and-rodent-borne-diseases-along-the-inter-oceanic-highway-in-madre-de-dios-peru/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Community perceptions of health and rodent-borne diseases along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios, Peru |date=13 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/community-perceptions-of-health-and-rodent-borne-diseases-along-the-inter-oceanic-highway-in-madre-de-dios-peru/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025community, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Community perceptions of health and rodent-borne diseases along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios, Peru}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/community-perceptions-of-health-and-rodent-borne-diseases-along-the-inter-oceanic-highway-in-madre-de-dios-peru/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }