John Enders, Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins grew poliovirus in culture, paving the way for polio vaccines
In 1949, at Harvard, John F. Enders, Ph.D., a Yale College graduate, Frederick C. Robbins, M.D., and Thomas…
Dr. Jonas Salk began classifying more than 100 strains of poliovirus
In 1949, Dr. Jonas Salk, with grants from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, the Pitt team and…
World Health Organization Influenza Centre was established in London
In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) Influenza Centre was established at the National Institute for Medical Research…
Investigators determined antigenic changes rendered existing flu vaccines ineffective
In 1947, during the seasonal flu epidemic, investigators determined that changes in the antigenic composition of circulating influenza…
Dr. Jonas Salk was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
In 1947, Dr. Jonas Salk was recruited from the University of Michigan by Dr. William S. McEllroy, dean…
An outbreak of influenza occurred in Japan and Korea in American troops
In late 1946, an outbreak of influenza occurred in Japan and Korea in American troops. It spread in…
Inactivated influenza vaccine was first licensed in the U.S.
In 1945, the inactivated influenza vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. The first vaccine was an inactivated,…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Infectious Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Fort Lewis General Hospital was redesignated Madigan General Hospital
On Sept. 22, 1944, the War Department General Order Number 76 officially redesignated Fort Lewis General Hospital as…
Use of cell cultures for virus growth was discovered
In 1944, the use of cell cultures for virus growth was discovered. This allowed viruses to be cultured…
Influenza A/B vaccine was introduced to the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board
In 1942, influenza A/B vaccine was introduced to the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board. The vaccine was effective against…
Dr. Jonas Salk arrived at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
In 1942, Dr. Jonas Salk arrived at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Techniques earned there…
Karl Habel produced an improved, killed rabies vaccine that eliminated foreign brain tissue caused paralysis
On Sept. 6, 1940, Karl Habel produced an improved, killed rabies vaccine that eliminated foreign brain tissue that…
Charles Armstrong adapted the Lansing strain of poliomyelitis for polio studies
On Jun. 14, 1940, Charles Armstrong and V. H. Haas published Immunity to the Lansing Strain of Poliomyelitis…
Scientists discovered how to purify and preserve penicillin
In 1940, Howard Florey, Ernst Chain and others in England discover how to purify and preserve penicillin. The…
The influenza B virus was isolated
In 1940, Thomas Francis, Jr, MD isolated the influenza B virus from a child in 1940. Francis helped…
First sign of antibiotic resistance to Penicillin was reported
In 1940, Edard Abraham and Ernst Chain reported that an E. coli strain was able to inactivate penicillin…
Agriculture | Biology | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Therapeutics | Vaccine
Herald R. Cox discovered that rickettsiae could be cultivated successfully in the yolk-sacs of chick embryos
On Dec. 23, 1938, Herald R. Cox published: Use of Yolk Sac of Developing Chick Embryo as Medium…
Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary, died in quarantine on North Brother Island near New York
On Nov. 11, 1938, Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary and the first person in the U.S.,…
Toxoplasma gondii was identified in humans
On May 23, 1938, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondi) was identified in humans gondii was identified in an infant…
President Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and the March of Dimes to fight polio
On Jan. 3, 1938, President Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) known today as the…
Gordon E. Davis and Herald R. Cox identified a new rickettsial disease, which they called Nine Mile Fever
In 1938, Gordon E. Davis and Herald R. Cox identified a new rickettsial disease, which they called Nine…
John Bozicevich developed immunological methods for the diagnosis of helminth parasitic infections
In 1938, John Bozicevich developed immunological methods for the diagnosis of helminth parasitic infections. Helminthiasis, also known as…
Margaret Pittman showed precipitin reaction around meningococcus colonies on immune serum was correlated with mouse potency assay
In 1938, Margaret Pittman showed that the precipitin reaction around meningococcus colonies on immune serum agar plates was…
Dr. Armand Frappier conducted the first studies to validate the tuberculosis vaccine
In 1938, Dr. Armand Frappier, at the Institut de Microbiologie et d’Hygiene de Montreal, conducted the first studies…
Maurice C. Hall developed a technique, known as the “NIH swab,” to diagnose enterobiasis
In 1937, Maurice C. Hall developed a technique, known as the “NIH swab,” to diagnose enterobiasis; it is…
Maurice C Hall, Willard H Wright and colleagues launched a series of studies that demonstrated the extent of human trichinosis in the U.S.
On Aug. 19, 1938, Maurice C. Hall, Willard H. Wright and colleagues published Studies in Trichinoisis that demonstrated…
Margaret Pittman, Sara E. Branham, and E. M. Sockrider showed type specificity of meningococcus by use of the Petrie’s precipitin test
In 1937, Margaret Pittman, Sara E. Branham, and E. M. Sockrider showed the type specificity of meningococcus by…
First description of human toxoplasmosis
In 1937, Albert Sabin and Peter Olitsky demonstrated that the parasiteToxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) was an obligate intracellular…
Albert Sabin and Peter Olitsky successfully grew poliovirus in a culture of brain tissue
In 1936, Albert Sabin and Peter Olitsky at the Rockefeller Institute successfully grew poliovirus in a culture of…
The Yellow Jack, co-written by Sidney Howard and Paul de Kruif was published
In 1934, The Yellow Jack, co-written by Sidney Howard, a Pulitzer- and Oscar-winning playwright and screenwriter, and Paul…