简介：TVProgramDescription/OriginalPBSBroadcastDate:October12,2004MostDangerousWomanhomepage-"WomanCookaWalkingTyphoidFeverFactory,"saidtheheadlineinaNewYorkCitynewspaperin1907.ThewomanwasMaryMallon,anIrishimmigrantwhoas"TyphoidMary"wouldbecomeanotorioussymbolofapublichealthmenace.In"TheMostDangerousWomaninAmerica,"NOVAexploresthelegacyofoneofhistory'smostinfamousdiseasecarriers.MaryMallon'sordealtookplaceatatimewhenthenewscienceofbacteriologywasshapingpublichealthpoliciesinAmericaforthefirsttime,andhercasecontinuestoholdlessonsamidtoday'sheightenedconcernsaboutcommunicablediseases.TheprogramisbasedonTyphoidMary:CaptivetothePublic'sHealth,byJudithWalzerLeavitt,whichtheBostonBookReviewpraisedas"anindeliblepictureofearly20th-centuryNewYork,whenmodernknowledgeandsensibilitiescollidedwithancientterrors."(Readanadaptation.)Leavitt,whoisprofessorofmedicalhistoryandwomen'sstudiesattheUniversityofWisconsinMedicalSchool,isoneofseveralnotedexpertsinterviewedbyNOVA.AlsofeaturedisAnthonyBourdain,thecelebratedchefatNewYork'sLesHallesrestaurantandauthorofKitchenConfidentialandTyphoidMary.NOVA'sdramatizationstarsMarianTomasGriffin(AstheWorldTurns)asMallon,JereShea(TonynominationforGuysandDolls)asGeorgeSoper,andNatalieRoseasDr.JosephineBaker.Thestory,whichunfoldslikeadetectivenovel,openswithamysteriousclusteroftyphoidfevercasesinAugust1906inaveryunlikelysetting:asummerhouseinwealthyOysterBay,LongIsland.Typhoidfeverisabacterialdiseasespreadbypoorsanitation.Attheturnofthe20thcentury,itwasassociatedwithslumsandpoverty.About10percentofthoseinfecteddied.Alarmed,theownerofthehousehiredcivilengineerGeorgeSopertotrackdownthesourceoftheinfection.Soperruledoutthewatersupplyandlocalshellfish,andbegantofocusonthehousehold'sformercook,MaryMallon,whohadarrivedinthehouseshortlybeforetheepidemicbrokeout.Shehadsinceleft,butSopertracedheremploymenthistoryandlearnedthattyphoidoutbreaksfollowedherwherevershewent.AfterSoperlocatedMallon,hisrepeatedattemptstogethertosubmittotestingweremetwiththesameresponse:abrandishedmeatforkandthreats.IttookhealthdepartmentworkerDr.JosephineBakerandfivepoliceofficerstoapprehendMallon.Aftertyphoidbacilliwerefoundinherfeces,shewassenttoaquarantineislandinNewYork'sEastRiver.(ForMallon'sviewonherquarantine,seeInHerOwnWords.)Butthecasewasfarfromopenandshut,saysLeavitt."Weseeittoday,certainlywithmultidrug-resistanttuberculosis,withHIV-AIDS,nowwithSARS;youseewhereindividualsarequarantined,isolated,whoselibertyistakenawayinthenameofprotectingthepublichealth.MaryMallongivesusanexampleofthatatanextremelevel,becauseshewashealthy.Shewasn'tevensick."Mallonwaswhat'sknownasahealthycarrier—apersonwhoiscontagiousbuthasnosymptoms.Shehadprobablycomedownwithamild,undetectedcaseoftyphoidfeveratsomepointinherpastandhadretainedactivegermseversince.Whilepreparingfood,sheshedbacteriafromherhands,anditneveroccurredtoherthatshewasspreadingdisease.Whenherconditionwasexplainedtoher,sherefusedtobelieveitandfoughtbackbysecretlyhiringaprivatelaboratory,whoseresultsreportedlyshowedthatshewasfreefrominfection.Nonetheless,hertestsinquarantinecontinuedtoshowtyphoidbacteria,andshewasdetaineduntil1910,whenauthoritiesreleasedheronconditionthatshenotworkinfoodhandlingandthatshecheckinregularlywithhealthofficials.Mallonreturnedtofreedom.Butthatwasnotthelastthepublicwouldhearof"TyphoidMary,"whowouldturnupagainincircumstancesthatshockedeventhosewhosympathizedwithherplight.…