The Memphis Mosquito Epidemic was one of the most deadly outbreaks of disease in Tennessee History. Following the Civil War, the population of Memphis doubled. This was due to the freeing of slaves, soldiers returning home, and an influx of French and German immigrants from the east. People wanted to live in Memphis because whether they were a farmer, or manufacturer, they could put their goods on boats and sail them up or down the Mississippi River. With this boost in population came the need for increased housing. Many people were forced to live in the streets. Sanitation was poor. When someone thew out their trash, they threw it in the street. There was also no underground sewage. This made clean water hard to come by. All of these factors led to an outbreak of Yellow Fever. The Fever spread thanks to mosquitos. One has to understand that Summers in Memphis, and Tennessee in general for that matter, are very hot and humid. Mosquitos thrive in this type weather. When mosquitos bit people, they were immediately infected with the Yellow Fever. By the time the disease was able to be controlled, approximately 17,000 people had been affected. Out of those 17,000, 5,000 died. The Memphis Mosquito Epidemic became one of the deadliest outbreaks of disease in United States history. The outbreak did lead to some positive inventions, most notably the creation of a board of health, as well as sanitation systems. Thanks to the creation of these inventions, people today don't have to be worried about disease outbreaks, such as what happened in Memphis.
Yellow Fever spread through mosquitos that were attracted to the hot, humid climate of Memphis.
In Memphis there is a cemetery made up primarily of Yellow Fever victims.
Stay tuned next Thursday for the next Throwback Thursday blog post. Be sure to check out the section of the blog devoted to Moore Historical Consulting. Put me to work for you!!
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