Walter Reed

Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 22, 1902) was a United States Army physician who in 1901 led the team that postulated and confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species, rather than by direct contact. This insight gave impetus to the new fields of epidemiology and biomedicine, and most immediately allowed the resumption and completion of work on the Panama Canal (1904–1914) by the United States. Reed followed work started by Carlos Finlay and directed by George Miller Sternberg ("first U.S. bacteriologist").

Early life and education

Reed was born in Gloucester County, Virginia, to Lemuel Sutton Reed (a Methodist minister) and Pharaba White.

Career

In 1875, Reed completed a second medical degree at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City. He married Emilie (Blackwell) Reed on April 26, 1876. They had two children.

Yellow Fever Commission

In 1900, Reed, Agramonte, and James Carroll developed the hypothesis that mosquitoes were the vector for Yellow Fever. The U.S. government gave Reed's team the resources to test this hypothesis. Reed's team included James Carroll, Jesse W. Lazear, and Aristides Agramonte.

Death and legacy

Reed died in Washington D.C. of appendicitis at age 51. He has been honored by numerous organizations, including the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

See also

• List of United States Army careers
• History of medicine
• Epidemiology

References

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External links

• Walter Reed and Yellow Fever at the National Library of Medicine
• Yellow Fever at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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