Born on this day in 1851, Walter Reed proved the theory that mosquitoes transmitted yellow fever to human beings. At the turn of the 20th Century, US researchers in Cuba made the historic discovery that mosquitoes spread yellow fever. Army Maj. Walter Reed's contributions to medicine were many. Thanks to him, few know anything about yellow fever and typhoid — diseases that once plagued communities.
National Engineers Week provides an opportunity to think about the technological marvels that engineers have gifted to the world such as the Panama Canal. U.S. Army doctor Col. William Gorgas paved the way for the construction of the Panama Canal by destroying the mosquitoes that spread disease. The U.S. Army doctor Walter Reed — with the assistance of a few brave volunteers — helped stop the spread of a deadly illness ravaging the region.
Charles Calisher earns American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's top honor for his work in insect-, rat- and bird-borne virus research. An outbreak in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised concerns about the infamous and fearsome disease — once a scourge of Panama. Editor's note: Even an institution as historic as the University of Virginia – now entering its third century – has stories yet to be told.