Howard Taylor Ricketts (February 9, 1871 – May 3, 1910) was an American pathologist after whom the family Rickettsiaceae and the order Rickettsiales are named.
While in Montana, Ricketts and his assistant discovered that the vector that carried the pathogen for Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a tick,[2] the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni; some other species of ticks, such as the American dog or wood tick, Dermacentor variabilis, also are vectors). It was not at once clear what kind of organism the pathogen was; eventually it was named Rickettsia, the first of the Rickettsiales to be identified. However, for decades, until electron microscopy and other technologies became sufficiently advanced, it was not known whether Rickettsiales were bacteria, viruses, or something in between. They now are known to be bacteria specialised for intracellular parasitism.[3]
Ricketts was devoted to his research and, on several occasions, injected himself with pathogens to study their effects.[1] The pathogen causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Rickettsia rickettsii was named after him. After this eponymous genus, the larger family and order were given their names.
In 1910, Ricketts became interested in a strain of murine-carried typhus known as tabardillo due to a major outbreak in Mexico City, and the apparent similarity of the disease to spotted fever.[1] Days after isolating the organism that he believed caused typhus, he himself died of the disease.[4] His last papers were written in collaboration with R. M. Wilder.
^ abcWeiss, Emilio; Strauss, Bernard S. (27 December 1990) [1991], "The Life and Career of Howard Taylor Ricketts", Reviews of Infectious Diseases, 13 (6), The University of Chicago: 1241–2, doi:10.1093/clinids/13.6.1241, PMID 1775858
^Margulis, Lynn; Betsy Palmer Eldridge (2005). (PDF). ASM News. 71 (2). The American Society for Microbiology: 65–70. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
^Willey, Joanne; Sherwood, Linda; Woolverton, Chris (2010). Prescott's microbiology (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ISBN978-0077350130.
^Enersen, Ole Daniel (1994–2011). "Who Named It? A dictionary of medical eponyms" (website). Retrieved 28 April 2011.
^"Building for a Long Future: The University of Chicago and its donors, 1889 - 1930" (website). The University of Chicago Library. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
^The University Record. University of Chicago Press. 1922. p. 120.
^Cattell, Jaques, ed. (1949). American Men of Science: A Biographical Dictionary. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Science Press. p. 1448.
^"The Ricketts Prize for Research". The University of Chicago Magazine. University of Chicago, Alumni Association. 1922. p. 303.
Further readingedit
Groß, Dominik; Schäfer, Gereon (1 January 2011). "100th Anniversary of the death of Ricketts: Howard Taylor Ricketts (1871–1910). The namesake of the Rickettsiaceae family". Microbes and Infection. 13 (1): 10–13. doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2010.09.008. PMID 20888424.
"Howard Taylor Ricketts: Memorial Address at University of Chicago (15 May 1910) by Ludvig Hektoen" (website). Today in Science History. 1999–2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
Ricketts, H.T. (1907). "A summary of investigations of the nature and means of transmission of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever" (website). Today in Science History. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
Guide to the Howard Taylor Ricketts Papers 1891-1977 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
January 01, 1970
howard, taylor, ricketts, february, 1871, 1910, american, pathologist, after, whom, family, rickettsiaceae, order, rickettsiales, named, bornfebruary, 1871findlay, ohio, united, statesdiedmay, 1910, aged, mexico, city, mexicoknown, forblastomycosis, bacillus, . Howard Taylor Ricketts February 9 1871 May 3 1910 was an American pathologist after whom the family Rickettsiaceae and the order Rickettsiales are named Howard Taylor RickettsHoward Taylor RickettsBornFebruary 9 1871Findlay Ohio United StatesDiedMay 3 1910 aged 39 Mexico City MexicoKnown forblastomycosis bacillus typhusScientific careerFieldsBacteriology He was born in Findlay Ohio 1 In the early part of his career Ricketts undertook research at Northwestern University on blastomycosis He later worked in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana and at the University of Chicago on Rocky Mountain spotted fever This early pathology entomology and epidemiology research in Hamilton Montana led to the eventual formation of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories there While in Montana Ricketts and his assistant discovered that the vector that carried the pathogen for Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a tick 2 the Rocky Mountain wood tick Dermacentor andersoni some other species of ticks such as the American dog or wood tick Dermacentor variabilis also are vectors It was not at once clear what kind of organism the pathogen was eventually it was named Rickettsia the first of the Rickettsiales to be identified However for decades until electron microscopy and other technologies became sufficiently advanced it was not known whether Rickettsiales were bacteria viruses or something in between They now are known to be bacteria specialised for intracellular parasitism 3 Ricketts was devoted to his research and on several occasions injected himself with pathogens to study their effects 1 The pathogen causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever Rickettsia rickettsii was named after him After this eponymous genus the larger family and order were given their names In 1910 Ricketts became interested in a strain of murine carried typhus known as tabardillo due to a major outbreak in Mexico City and the apparent similarity of the disease to spotted fever 1 Days after isolating the organism that he believed caused typhus he himself died of the disease 4 His last papers were written in collaboration with R M Wilder Ricketts was survived by his wife Myra Tubbs Ricketts and children His family established an annual student research prize the Howard Taylor Ricketts Prize at the University of Chicago in 1912 5 6 Noteworthy recipients of the Ricketts Prize include Julian Herman Lewis 1913 7 Lauretta Bender 1923 8 Sara Elizabeth Branham 1924 G M Dack 1925 and Maurice Hilleman 1945 References edit a b c Weiss Emilio Strauss Bernard S 27 December 1990 1991 The Life and Career of Howard Taylor Ricketts Reviews of Infectious Diseases 13 6 The University of Chicago 1241 2 doi 10 1093 clinids 13 6 1241 PMID 1775858 Margulis Lynn Betsy Palmer Eldridge 2005 What a Revelation Any Science Is PDF ASM News 71 2 The American Society for Microbiology 65 70 Archived from the original PDF on 22 July 2011 Retrieved 28 April 2011 Willey Joanne Sherwood Linda Woolverton Chris 2010 Prescott s microbiology 8th ed New York McGraw Hill Higher Education ISBN 978 0077350130 Enersen Ole Daniel 1994 2011 Who Named It A dictionary of medical eponyms website Retrieved 28 April 2011 Building for a Long Future The University of Chicago and its donors 1889 1930 website The University of Chicago Library Retrieved 28 April 2011 The University Record University of Chicago Press 1922 p 120 Cattell Jaques ed 1949 American Men of Science A Biographical Dictionary Lancaster Pennsylvania The Science Press p 1448 The Ricketts Prize for Research The University of Chicago Magazine University of Chicago Alumni Association 1922 p 303 Further reading editGross Dominik Schafer Gereon 1 January 2011 100th Anniversary of the death of Ricketts Howard Taylor Ricketts 1871 1910 The namesake of the Rickettsiaceae family Microbes and Infection 13 1 10 13 doi 10 1016 j micinf 2010 09 008 PMID 20888424 External links editWorks by or about Howard Taylor Ricketts at Internet Archive Howard Taylor Ricketts Memorial Address at University of Chicago 15 May 1910 by Ludvig Hektoen website Today in Science History 1999 2011 Retrieved 28 April 2011 Ricketts H T 1907 A summary of investigations of the nature and means of transmission of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever website Today in Science History Retrieved 28 April 2011 Guide to the Howard Taylor Ricketts Papers 1891 1977 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Howard Taylor Ricketts amp oldid 1184017345, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
