The most serious health problem faced by indigenous populations of the New World in the sixteenth century was __________.

Question

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When European explorers and settlers arrived in the New World, they brought with them a range of infectious diseases to which the indigenous populations had no immunity. Diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza swept through native communities, killing millions of people and causing depopulation on a massive scale. While malnutrition, alcoholism, and mental illness were certainly issues faced by some indigenous communities, none of these problems were as devastating or widespread as the infectious diseases brought by Europeans.

The Most Serious Health Problem Faced by Indigenous Populations of the New