John Enders, Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins successfully grew poliovirus in live cells
In March 1948, John Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins used human embryonic skin and muscle tissue, grown…
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…
Dr Isabel M Morgan demonstrated that chemically inactivated poliovirus would induce immunity
In 1948, Dr. Isabel M. Morgan of Johns Hopkins University demonstrated definitively that chemically inactivated poliovirus derived from…
The Zikus virus was discovered in Uganda
In 1947, the Zika virus was first discovered during research supported by the Rockefeller Foundation to study the…
Investigators determined antigenic changes rendered existing flu vaccines ineffective
In 1947, during the seasonal flu epidemic of 1947, investigators determined that changes in the antigenic composition of…
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…
Karl Habel cultivated mumps virus in embryonated eggs and devised serological tests for its presence
In 1945, Karl Habel cultivated mumps virus in embryonated eggs and devised serological tests for its presence. Habel…
NIH scientists published the first NCI monograph which showed that the mouse breast cancer “agent” was a filterable virus
In 1945, W. Ray Bryan, Michael B. Shimkin, Howard B. Andervont, Herbert Kahler and Thelma B. Dunn published…
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,…
Karl Habel and John Enders isolated the mumps virus
In 1945, Karl Habel and John Enders isolated the mumps virus. Habel and Enders had successfully cultivated the…
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…
Karl Habel published his work in passaging a rubella virus isolate through chick embryos and monkeys
On Jul. 31, 1942, Karl Habel published “Transmission of Rubella to Macacus mulatta Monkeys” in Public Health Reports….
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…
The influenza B virus was isolated
In 1940, Thomas Francis, Jr, MD isolated the influenza B virus from a child in 1940. Francis helped…
Influenza vaccine developed to protect U.S. military forces
In 1938, Thomas Francis, Jr., MD and Jonas Salk, MD served as lead researchers at the University of…
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…
Sir Macfarlane Burnet discovered that influenza virus could be grown in embryonated hens’ eggs
In 1936, Sir Macfarlane Burnet discovered that influenza virus could be grown in embryonated hens’ eggs. This led…
Scientists created the first filter able to trap viruses
On Jul. 8, 1933, Christopher Andrewes, Laidlaw and W Smith from the Medical Research Council (MRC) reported that…
Wendell Stanley purified a sample of tobacco mosaic virus and finds crystals
In 1933, Wendell Stanley purified a sample of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and finds crystals. This suggested, contrary…
The etiology of ‘swine influenza’ was established
In 1931, Rockefeller Institute investigator Richard Shope published the first of three landmark papers that established the etiology…
Ralph Lillie demonstrated that the cause of psittacosis was a rickettsia-like organism instead of a virus
In 1930, Ralph Lillie demonstrated that the cause of psittacosis was a rickettsia-like organism (later placed in the…
The Spanish Flu reached the state of Washington
On Oct. 4, 1918, the Spanish Flu reached the state of Washington when Seattle newspapers reported that one…
Swine influenza subtype H1N1 first appeared
In the summer of 1918, the swine influenza virus first appeared in western Illinois in 1918, where it…
Between 25 and 50 million people died from the the influenza outbreak that began in 1918
In 1918, It was estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected…
Felix-Hubert D’Herelle discovered viruses that prey on bacteria and named them bacteriophages or bacteria eaters
In 1916, French-Canadian bacteriologist Felix-Hubert D’Herelle discovered viruses that prey on bacteria and named them bacteriophages or bacteria…
Pertussis vaccine, a suspension of inactivated Bordetella pertussis cells, was licensed
In 1915, Pertussis vaccine, a suspension of inactivated Bordetella pertussis cells, was licensed. Inactivated vaccines were prepared with…
Phages, or bacterial viruses,were discovered
In 1914, Phages, or bacterial viruses, were discovered by Frederick Twort. He researched Johne’s disease, a chronic intestinal…
Virus (vaccinia) grown in cell culture for the first time
In 1913, for the first time ever, a virus (vaccinia) was grown in cell culture, and then in…
Sarcoma virus reported by Peyton Rous in the Journal of Experimental Medicine
In 1911, Pathologist Peyton Rous reported a virus that causes cancer in chickens (Rous sarcoma virus) that opened…