BLACK FEVER OF LÁBREA: A HISTORIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH TO MEMORIES OF THE EPIDEMIC (1963–1974)

Abstract

This work addresses the epidemic of the disease known as Black Fever of Lábrea, which affected local communities between 1963 and 1974, with a focus on the Santa Cruz do Passiá and Jucuri rubber plantations. Through oral accounts obtained from interviews with residents and researchers, the study aimed to understand the lived experiences, the meanings attributed to the disease, and the coping strategies in a context marked by poor medical assistance and transportation difficulties. The results highlight the high lethality of the disease, especially among children and young people, and reveal persistent gaps regarding its origin and transmission mechanisms. The study also emphasizes the protagonism of local communities, who resorted to their own practices to ensure their subsistence in the face of adversity. However, relevant aspects such as healing practices and the impacts on other mentioned communities were not extensively explored. This reaffirms the importance of integrating local narratives into the history of public health, fostering reflection on the structural inequalities that marked the epidemic experience. The study concludes that the enigma of Black Fever of Lábrea requires broader investigations, including other affected areas.