Febre amarela e epidemias: configurações do problema ao longo do tempo

This article reviews the history of ideas regarding yellow fever and ways to combat disease. Miasmatic theories, then competing germ theories were overthrown at turn from 19th 20th century when prevailed theory that guided campaigns led by Oswaldo Cruz other public health authorities. Yellow came be seen as a disease transmitted single mosquito species, with no known etiological agent, only one vertebrate host (man), occurring mainly in populous port cities hot zones planet. Fighting had meant changing environment produced miasmas, neutralizing supposed bacteria through vaccines, disinfections patient isolation; now it fighting large coastal America West Africa. At 1920s 1930s, new turnaround: became primarily sylvatic disease, caused virus, many hosts insect vectors.