The Story of Typhoid Mary

An outbreak of Typhoid occurred 1906 in a wealthy family in Oyster Bay, New York.

Typically a disease of ‘deprived’ people, investigators concluded that the source must have been contaminated water or freshwater clams. However, in 1907, another wealthy family in Manhattan, New York also had an outbreak. One investigator, George Soper, identified the link: it was the Cook.

Mary Mallon, a.k.a. Typhoid Mary, was found to have worked for 8 different families between 1900-1907; 7 of these families experienced cases of typhoid. Mary was sent into isolation for 2 years and confirmed as a healthy carrier of the bacteria Salmonella typhi but reoffended within 3 months of release. This is the story of the villain Typhoid Mary vs the tragedy of Mary Mallon.

We thank Fidelma McCorry as the voice behind the reading of Mary’s letter.

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