The fever by Lon Wagner

Yellow Fever

The Fever by Lon Wagner: An Epidemiological Analysis and Case Study

Epidemiology Introduction

Epidemiology is nothing more than the science that examines patterns, causes and prevention of diseases that affect multiple groups of people. Epidemiology examines epidemic diseases including control of those diseases and the factors that contribute to disease within human populations (Watts, 2001).

A this paper the researcher will attempt to describe the epidemiology of yellow fever, the impacts yellow fever had in the mid 1800s on Americans based on Lon Wagner's "The Fever" and potential avenues for prevention and treatment of this disease in the future. The Fever by Lon Wagner chronicles the epidemic yellow fever striking Portsmouth and Norfolk during the mid 1800s.

Natural History/Epidemiology Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is often considered on of the "most lethal diseases" to strike the globe (Watts, 955). Yellow fever results from a viral infection caused by a fever virus named Flavivirus (Zuber, 1999). The disease manifests with chills, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and muscle pain, hence may be mistaken in some cases for the flu (Zuber 1999). In some patients jaundice will occur resulting at times in severe side effects including fatality (Zuber, 1999).

While the fever currently resides primarily along South American and African countries, the disease did impact the citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth during the mid 1800s (Zuber, 1999). Humans contaminated with the virus are the source of infection. Natural history studies suggest that travelers from abroad could have infected natives in other regions of the world (Zuber, 1999).

Retrospective/Descriptive View Yellow Fever Outbreak

During the mid 1800s an epidemic of yellow fever broke out among Portsmouth and Norfolk in London. Often referred to as the "great plague of London" thousands of people fled the country as yellow fever wiped out entire families and communities (Wagner, 2005).

The communities affected included more than 14,000 people including more than 4,000 slaves, more than 900 free blacks and more than 9,000 whites who included ordinary families, shipmen, tradesmen and more (Wagner, 2005). Many immigrants living in Portsmouth were also affected by the fever.

Epidemiological Triangle

In this case study the disease was thought to arrive via the ship the Benjamin Franklin which arrived in Norfolk in June 0f 1855 from the West Indies (Wagner, 2005). People living in the area at the time were aware that several factors including a hot environment, swampy areas and stale water could contribute to the disease that filled the air (Wagner, 2005). Studies suggest certain mosquitoes may also transmit the virus (Mulla, 1999).

The host for the disease is humans, and the environment of the case study includes the regions of Norfolk and Portsmouth. The agent examined is yellow fever. Other possible hosts include mosquitoes known to bear infection, like the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Mulla, 1999).

Primary Secondary Tertiary Prevention

If living at the time, primary prevention would have included avoidance of natural spread of the disease. This may have been almost impossible however as ships frequently traveled to cities via ports. However, temporary quarantine of ships entering port from affected areas may have served as a primary prevention technique for preventing spread of the disease (Oberle, 2001). Secondary prevention methods would have included providing citizens with clean waters and immunizations (Oberle, 2001).

Vaccines have proven beneficial for preventing yellow fever transmission in humans. Unfortunately vaccines were not available at the time in question, but other preventive measures or treatments may have enabled higher survival rates.