An Unseen Carrier
Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant, worked as a cook in New York in the early 1900s. Although she showed no symptoms, Mallon was a carrier of typhoid fever. Between 1900 and 1907, she unknowingly infected at least 22 people in various households where she worked, causing several deaths.
The Investigation Begins
Health officials became suspicious when clusters of typhoid cases appeared in wealthy neighborhoods, where the disease was rare. Dr. George Soper, a sanitation engineer, traced the outbreaks to Mary Mallon. He identified her as the first healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the United States.
Forced Quarantine
In 1907, Mallon was quarantined at a hospital on North Brother Island, New York, for three years. After promising not to work as a cook again, she was released but later broke this agreement, leading to another outbreak.
Final Years in Isolation
In 1915, Mallon was re-quarantined on North Brother Island, where she remained until her death in 1938. Despite her confinement, her case raised awareness of carriers in disease transmission.
Typhoid Mary: The Silent Spread of a Killer Disease
An Unseen Carrier
Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant, worked as a cook in New York in the early 1900s. Although she showed no symptoms, Mallon was a carrier of typhoid fever. Between 1900 and 1907, she unknowingly infected at… pic.twitter.com/5oPqlh1Gy6— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TBBOB2) September 15, 2024