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Major American Epidemics Of Yellow Fever (1793-1905)

Yellow fever appeared in the U.S. In the late 17th century. The deadly virus continued to strike cities, mostly eastern seaports and Gulf Coast cities, for the next two hundred years, killing hundreds, sometimes thousands in a single summer.

1. Philadelphia; August-November 1793; approximately 5,000 deadThis outbreak killed about 10% of the city's population, and thousands more fled, including an infected Alexander Hamilton and his wife. Dr. Benjamin Rush, who stayed, issued guidelines for avoiding infection and helped set up a "fever hospital" for victims.

2. New York City; July-October 1795; 730 deadNew York City, which in 1793 had turned away refugees from the epidemic in Philadelphia, suffered its own epidemic two summers later.

3. Boston, New York City and Philadelphia; Summer 1798; more than 5,000 deadConcurrent epidemics hit the nation's three major cities.

4. Baltimore; Summer 1800; 1,200 deadAs the 19th century wore on, yellow fever outbreaks would increasingly be confined to the southern United States.

5. New Orleans; Summer 1853; 8000 or more deadThis outbreak illustrated a racial disparity in yellow fever mortality; 7.4% of white residents died, but only 0.2% of blacks.

6. Norfolk; June-Oct 1855; 2,000 deadThis epidemic, like many others in America, began with the arrival of a disease-carrying ship from the West Indies.

7. Mississippi Valley; May-Oct 1878; 20,000 deadStarting in New Orleans, this epidemic spread up the Mississippi Valley to Memphis. More than half of the 47,000 residents of Memphis fled the city; more than 5,000 died that summer of yellow fever.

8. Cuba; Summer 1898; hundreds deadDisease killed more than five times as many American soldiers as enemy bullets during the Spanish-American war; yellow fever was among the culprits, and its impact led to the establishment of a U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board led by Walter Reed that would unravel the mystery of yellow fever transmission and lead to its eradication in America.

9. New Orleans; May-October 1905; more than 900 deadYellow fever epidemics took more than 41,000 lives in New Orleans from 1817-1905, but the 1905 outbreak was America's last. Today, yellow fever continues to appear in small outbreaks in South America and more serious epidemics in West and Central Africa.

Some Incidents Of The Yellow Fever Epidemic Of 1793

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Yellow Fever Deaths Recorded Again In São Paulo

Monday, May 29th 2023 - 10:00 UTC

Full article

Authorities have upped their vaccination strategy to avoid an outbreak

After two years without any cases, São Paulo health authorities reported during the weekend that two patients had died from yellow fever this year after four people were infected. Although both fatalities took place in the State of São Paulo, one of the victims was a resident of Minas Gerais. The State had had no cases of the disease since 2020 when one record was confirmed.

From January to March 2023, the vaccination coverage for yellow fever stood at 82%. In 2022, this percentage was 64.4%, the authorities also said while insisting vaccination against yellow fever was available at every healthcare facility.

The first dose must be applied at 9 months of age and the second at 4 years of age. After the age of 5, for those who are not up to date with the vaccine, a single dose is recommended.

In addition to reinforcing their vaccination strategy, São Paulo health authorities are sensitizing practitioners to detect suspected situations early.

Yellow fever is an acute infectious disease, with rapid evolution and high lethality in its most severe forms. It presents symptoms such as sudden fever, chills, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and weakness. It has a seasonal pattern, with most cases between December and May.

Infection occurs through wild mosquitoes, which live in the forest and do not inhabit the urban environment of cities.

After approximately half a century of epidemiological silence, the yellow fever virus was detected again in 2000, in the state of São Paulo. Since its reintroduction, four outbreaks have been reported, with more than 600 confirmed cases. Epidemic events of the disease were also recorded, starting in 2014 in Goiás and Tocantins and on to the Southeastern and Southern states.

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