1870 Barcelona yellow fever epidemic facts for kids
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| Disease | Yellow fever |
|---|---|
| Location | Barcelona, Spain |
| Date | 1870 |
| Confirmed cases | 1235 |
The 1870 Barcelona yellow fever epidemic was a serious sickness that spread through the city of Barcelona, Spain, in 1870. It was caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes.
Contents
Barcelona's History with Yellow Fever
In the late 1800s, Barcelona was a very busy port city. Its harbor connected it to many other cities and countries. This was great for trade and sharing ideas. However, it also meant that diseases could easily arrive.
One of these diseases was Yellow fever. This sickness is caused by a virus. It is spread by a type of mosquito called Aedes aegypti. These mosquitoes are not native to Spain.
How the Sickness Spread
The yellow fever sickness came to Barcelona on a ship. This ship had traveled from Cuba. The outbreak started in August 1870 and lasted until the end of the year.
Sadly, 1235 people died during this time. Among them were 468 women and 767 men. The sickness finally stopped spreading for two main reasons. First, the city started using better hygiene practices. Second, the cold weather in December 1870 killed off the mosquitoes. These mosquitoes cannot survive in cold temperatures.
Other Yellow Fever Outbreaks
Barcelona had faced yellow fever outbreaks before. Two earlier epidemics happened in 1803 and 1821. The 1821 outbreak was very severe. It is believed that between 3,251 and 8,000 people died.
Another similar outbreak happened in Wales during the 19th century. In 1865, the South Wales epidemic began. It was also caused by a boat arriving with sick passengers and A. aegypti mosquitoes.
See also
In Spanish: Epidemia de fiebre amarilla de Barcelona de 1870 para niños
