Yellow Fever in Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
The Yellow Fever in Buenos Aires was a series of epidemic
s that took place in 1852, 1858, 1870 and 1871, the latter being a disaster that killed about 8% of Porteño
s: in a city were the daily death rate was less than 20, there were days that killed more than 500 people. The Yellow Fever
would have come from Asunción
, Paraguay
, brought by Argentine soldiers returning from the war that had just fought in that country
, having previously spread in the city of Corrientes
. As its worst, Buenos Aires
population was reduced to a third because of the exodus
of those escaping the scourge.
Some of the main causes of the spread of this disease were the insufficient supply of potable water, pollution
of ground water by human waste, warm and humid climate in summer
, overcrowding of black people and, since 1871, of European immigrants who entered incessantly and without sanitary measures to the country. Also, the saladeros (manufacturing establishments for producing salted and dried meat
) polluted the Matanza River
(south of the city limits), as well as infected ditches with debris went through the city favor the spread of mosquito
Aedes aegypti
who was responsible of transmitting Yellow Fever
.
A witness to the epidemic of 1871, named Mardoqueo Navarro, wrote on April 13 the following description in his diary:
, it was known that the transmitting agent
of Yellow Fever
was mosquito
Aedes aegypti
. Before that discovery, doctors attributed the cause of many epidemics to what they called "miasmas
" floating in the air.
Yellow Fever (or "black vomit", as it was called due to bleeding that occurs in the gastrointestinal) caused an epidemic in Buenos Aires
in 1852. However, by a note addressed to practitioner Soler is known that outbreaks occurred even before that year. As for the 1870 epidemic, it would come from Brazil
from merchant ship and caused 100 deaths.
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s that took place in 1852, 1858, 1870 and 1871, the latter being a disaster that killed about 8% of Porteño
Porteño
Porteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities....
s: in a city were the daily death rate was less than 20, there were days that killed more than 500 people. The Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
would have come from Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, brought by Argentine soldiers returning from the war that had just fought in that country
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
, having previously spread in the city of Corrientes
Corrientes
Corrientes is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12...
. As its worst, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
population was reduced to a third because of the exodus
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
of those escaping the scourge.
Some of the main causes of the spread of this disease were the insufficient supply of potable water, pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
of ground water by human waste, warm and humid climate in summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
, overcrowding of black people and, since 1871, of European immigrants who entered incessantly and without sanitary measures to the country. Also, the saladeros (manufacturing establishments for producing salted and dried meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
) polluted the Matanza River
Matanza River
The Matanza River is known by several names, including, in Spanish, Río de la Matanza , Río Matanza , Río Mataderos , Río de la Manzana , El Riachuelo , or simply Riachuelo...
(south of the city limits), as well as infected ditches with debris went through the city favor the spread of mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
Aedes aegypti
Aedes aegypti
The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. The mosquito can be recognized by white markings on legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the thorax...
who was responsible of transmitting Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
.
A witness to the epidemic of 1871, named Mardoqueo Navarro, wrote on April 13 the following description in his diary:
Outbreaks of Yellow Fever before 1871
Since 1881, thanks to Cuban physician Carlos FinlayCarlos Finlay
Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban physician and scientist recognized as a pioneer in yellow fever research.- Early life and education :...
, it was known that the transmitting agent
Vector (molecular biology)
In molecular biology, a vector is a DNA molecule used as a vehicle to transfer foreign genetic material into another cell. The four major types of vectors are plasmids, viruses, cosmids, and artificial chromosomes...
of Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
was mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
Aedes aegypti
Aedes aegypti
The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. The mosquito can be recognized by white markings on legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the thorax...
. Before that discovery, doctors attributed the cause of many epidemics to what they called "miasmas
Miasma theory of disease
The miasma theory held that diseases such as cholera, chlamydia or the Black Death were caused by a miasma , a noxious form of "bad air"....
" floating in the air.
Yellow Fever (or "black vomit", as it was called due to bleeding that occurs in the gastrointestinal) caused an epidemic in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1852. However, by a note addressed to practitioner Soler is known that outbreaks occurred even before that year. As for the 1870 epidemic, it would come from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
from merchant ship and caused 100 deaths.