A mortality study of the last outbreak of yellow fever in Barcelona City (Spain) in 1870.
BACKGROUND
The last outbreak of yellow fever in the city of Barcelona, Spain, was caused by a ship arriving from Cuba. The objective of this study was to describe and analyze the epidemic of 1870 by using the available mortality data.


METHODS
The information on 1,235 deaths identified in the parochial registries was analyzed, using statistical and epidemiological procedures for epidemic outbreaks.


RESULTS
Mortality due to yellow fever was 549.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. The temporal distribution of the deaths showed two peaks at the end of September and October with the last fatalities occurring in December 1870. The distribution of the fatalities in the city's neighborhoods was unequal. In La Barceloneta, in particular, more fatalities were found in the streets adjacent to the port than in the most remote streets (r=0.83; p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals a temporal bimodal mortality distribution for yellow fever during the outbreak, with a high impact in adult men and in the La Barceloneta neighborhood.
Canela Soler
Jaume
J
Department of Public Health, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. jcanela@ub.edu
Pallarés Fusté
Maria Rosa
MR
Abós Herràndiz
Rafael
R
Nebot Adell
Carme
C
Lawrence
Robert S
RS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000330:Aedes / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D019352:Censuses / Q000266:history; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002980:Climate; D003462:Cuba; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000266:history*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain; D014504:Urban Health / Q000266:history*; D015004:Yellow Fever / Q000266:history* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000635:transmission; D055815:Young Adult