The origin of yellow fever starts in Africa, as a result of transmission of infection from primates to humans. Studied suggest that the disease began on the coast of Africa yet spread to Central and West Africa as a result of the growing epidemic. Natives of Africa were not as affected as were travelers or Europeans. It is thought that over time, natives acquired immunity to the infection as a result of prolonged exposure as a kid. In 1647, the first known outbreak of yellow fever was recorded in Barbados, following another outbreak in Brazil in 1685. Yellow fever was nameless for the first hundred years of the epidemic, until it was nicknamed “yellow fever” as a result of the symptoms showed on its host.“Possibly as early as the sixteenth century, the virus and its mosquito vector were transported on ships sailing from West Africa to the West Indies. Later, due to transport by coastal shipping of both the vector and infected humans, yellow fever virus was carried to and ravaged much of the eastern regions of the Americas”(Clements, Harbach 2017). “Outbreaks of Yellow Fever seemed to occur more often in southern climates, and especially in those with high humidity and large quantities of stagnant surface water,” however they did not especially exclude the United States (Thompson, O’Leary, 1996).

Global Epidemiology

The epidemic of yellow fever was originally thought to have been introduced into the Americans as a result of ships carrying slaves from West Africa. Due to prominent epidemics that started throughout the 18th and 19th century, American colonies had to refuse the entrance of ships that were arriving from infected areas. “Many opponents of slavery saw yellow fever as divine retribution for the United State’s involvement in the slave trade” (Chacon, 2014). It is not known if it is spread by person-to-person contagion or some element in the air or environment. There was no way to predict how it was going to spread or protect yourself from it. Symptoms usually did not appear for up to a week after the initial contagion, and by then you could have already come in contact.

Epidemiology in the United States

In the late years of the 19th century the United States had interest in Cuba due to their mass production of sugar, which can account for millions of annual income (Clements, Harbach, 2017). Cuba was a major port for trading, and the prime point of shipping products across the sea to the US. The transportation of coastal shipping can be at fault for the spread of infection. The first yellow fever epidemic in the United States occurred in 1693 in Boston when a ship brought the disease over from the Indies. Despite their port security methods to block infected areas, some ships passed claiming they were sterile. 100 years later, the epidemic made its way to Philadelphia,