Yellow FeverFlavivirus
Chapter 1Yellow Fever Before Its Discovery
1648Quarantine in Boston
1732Death Brings Silence
1747Philadelphia Avoids an Outbreak
1794New York Doctor Makes an Important Observation
August 14, 1881Carlos Finlay Identifies a Suspect
Carlos Finlay (1833-1915) presented the paper “The Mosquito Hypothetically Considered as the Transmitting Agent of Yellow Fever” to Havana’s Academy of Sciences—the first to correctly identify mosquitoes as the ultimate source of the disease. Finlay’s theory, however, was initially ridiculed. It was accepted only when U.S. Army scientists working under Walter Reed (1851-1902) demonstrated that it was correct—two decades later.
Chapter 2The Yellow Fever Virus Is Discovered
1899Yellow Fever Plagues Panama Canal Workers
1900U.S. Army Researchers Discover the Cause of Yellow Fever
1901Mosquito Control Efforts Reduce Disease Cases
1918Anti-Mosquito Methods Control Yellow Fever in Ecuador
A major eradication effort in Guayaquil began. Efforts focused mainly on anti-mosquito measures, with 25 mosquito squads active by the end of the year. By mid-1919, the city had no reported cases of yellow fever. Guayaquil was then declared free of the disease for the first time in approximately a century.
1931Steps Taken Toward a Vaccine
Chapter 3Yellow Fever Vaccine Developed Required for Travel
1942Hepatitis Outbreak Prompts Improved Vaccine Safety Measures
1964Major U.S. Anti-Mosquito Measures Begin
1970Yellow Fever Mosquito Reappears in South America
2010Yellow Fever Vaccination Efforts Continue
Although the 17D yellow fever vaccine is highly effective, vaccination rates in at-risk regions remain lower than is necessary to prevent outbreaks. The World Health Organization warns that epidemics in unvaccinated populations can result in case-fatality ratios of more than 50%. WHO encourages both mass immunization efforts and routine infant immunization, as well as vaccination for travelers to countries where the disease is endemic. American travelers are required by WHO International Health Regulations to receive a yellow fever vaccination before visiting some countries in tropical South America and sub-Saharan Africa.