President's Address (November 2016): American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Stephen Higgs

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.17-0389

Abstract

President's Address (November 2016): American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Highlights

A question that people may have asked a long time ago, and perhaps still ask is, Why does the United States need a scientific society focused on tropical medicine and hygiene? The reason is that during the 18th and 19th centuries, infectious tropical diseases were having a tremendous impact on the United States
That one experiment provided the critical data needed for us to understand how people became infected with yellow fever virus—even before we knew that a virus was responsible for the disease
In the Spanish–American War of 1898, approximately a thousand people were killed in combat but there were over 5,000 who died because of disease, mostly due to yellow fever

Summary

Introduction

A question that people may have asked a long time ago, and perhaps still ask is, Why does the United States need a scientific society focused on tropical medicine and hygiene? The reason is that during the 18th and 19th centuries, infectious tropical diseases were having a tremendous impact on the United States. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) has a fascinating and remarkable history. I am going to tell the story for the younger people who have become increasingly numerous and influential in our Society, for the international members, and especially for those who are attending our meeting for the first time.

Results

Conclusion