Men, women and children fell ill to fever, nausea, pain and bleeding. Death was ubiquitous; each fatality marked by a ringing church bell. The knells soon became deafening.
It was 1793 and yellow fever had arrived in Philadelphia. By the time it disappeared that autumn, an estimated 10 percent of the approximately 55,000 city inhabitants were dead.
Yellow fever, so named because it causes jaundice, is transmitted by mosquitoes and is common in tropical climates. Scientists believe the disease originated in Africa and was brought to South America through the slave trade.
It made its way north to Philadelphia’s port with boats of refugees fleeing political turmoil in the Caribbean. There was also a high concentration of mosquitoes in the summer of 1793, providing ideal conditions for the disease to spread.
Armed guards lined the roads leading out of the city, making sure fleeing residents had some place to go. If they did not, they were forced to return to their homes.
Those left behind shuttered their windows and used a variety of home remedies to ward off sickness. These included placing vinegar-soaked rags over their faces and burning sulfur and frankincense.
A yellow fever vaccination was created in the 1930s. Even today there is no cure for the disease and treatment involves reducing the symptoms.
The World Health Organization estimates there are 200,000 cases per year and 30,000 deaths. Africa and Latin America remain hotspots for infection. The last North American epidemic occurred in New Orleans in 1905.
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