USA HISTORY

What was responsible for the spread of Yellow Fever killing more soldiers than those who died in combat?

(A) ** Mosquitos

(B) Rats

(C) Rotten food

(D) Horrible sanitary conditions

Concept note-1: -Yellow fever virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of infected Aedes or Haemagogus species mosquitoes. Mosquitoes acquire the virus by feeding on infected primates (human or non-human) and then can transmit the virus to other primates (human or non-human).

Concept note-2: -Yellow fever is spread by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. A mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person who has yellow fever in his or her blood. Direct spread of yellow fever from one person to another does not occur. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are not found naturally in New York State.

Concept note-3: -Malaria is caused by a parasite, while yellow fever is caused by a virus. The types of mosquitoes that spread malaria are different than the mosquitoes that spread yellow fever. There is a vaccine to prevent yellow fever, but no vaccine to prevent malaria.

Concept note-4: -The yellow fever virus most likely originated in Africa and arrived in the Western Hemisphere in the 1600s as a result of slave trade. The mosquito vector was likely introduced to the U.S. via water barrels on trade ships arriving from countries with endemic yellow fever.