Reed's breakthrough in yellow fever research is widely considered a milestone in biomedicine, opening new vistas of research and humanitarianism.
It was largely an extension of Carlos J. Finlay's work, carried out during the 1870s in Cuba, which finally came to prominence in 1900.
Finlay was the first to theorize, in 1881, that a mosquito was a carrier, now known as a disease vector, of the organism causing yellow fever: a mosquito that bites a victim of the disease could subsequently bite and thereby infect a healthy person.
He presented this theory at the 1881 International Sanitary Conference, where it was well-received.
A year later Finlay identified a mosquito of the genus Aedes as the organism transmitting yellow fever.
His theory was followed by the recommendation to control the mosquito population as a way to control the spread of the disease.

His hypothesis and exhaustive proofs were confirmed nearly twenty years later by the Walter Reed Commission of 1900.
Although Reed received much of the credit in history books for "beating" yellow fever, Reed himself credited Finlay with the discovery of the yellow fever vector, and thus how it might be controlled.
Reed often cited Finlay's papers in his own articles and gave him credit for the discovery in his personal correspondence.
 In the words of General Leonard Wood,  a physician and U.S. military governor of Cuba in 1900: "The confirmation of Finlay's doctrine is the greatest step forward made in medical science since Jenner's discovery of the vaccination for smallpox."

This discovery helped William C. Gorgas reduce the incidence and prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases in Panama during the American campaign, from 1903 onwards, to construct the Panama Canal.
Prior to this, about 10% of the workforce had died each year from malaria and yellow fever.

In 1912, he posthumously received what would come to be known as the Walter Reed Medal in recognition of his work to combat yellow fever.
A tropical medicine course is also named after him, Walter Reed Tropical Medicine Course.
The National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland holds a collection of his papers regarding typhoid fever studies.
Philip Showalter Hench, a Nobel Prize winner for Physiology or Medicine in 1950, maintained a long interest in Walter Reed and yellow fever.
 His collection of thousands of items—documents, photographs, and artifacts—is at the University of Virginia in the Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection.
More than 7,500 of these items, including several hundred letters written by Reed himself, are accessible online at the web exhibit devoted to this Collection.

In addition to that medal, course, and a stamp issued in his honor (shown), locations and institutions named after the medical pioneer include:
Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH), Washington, D.C. was opened on May 1, 1909, seven years after his death.

Reed Hall at Radford College (now Radford University) was constructed in 1939 as the original home for the sciences and named for Dr. Walter Reed.
It is now part of the Artis College for Science and Technology at Radford.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) opened in 1977 as the successor to WRGH and closed in 2011; it was the worldwide tertiary care medical center for the U.S. Army and was utilized by congressmen and presidents.

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), near Washington, D.C., is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the DoD and successor to the Army Medical School.

Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, operating under the direction of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research conducting research on the systematics of medically important arthropods.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a new hospital complex constructed on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, dedicated in 2011.

Walter Reed Birthplace, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Riverside Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester, Virginia (near Reed's birthplace) opened on September 13, 1977.

Arlington County, V
Reed's breakthrough in yellow fever research is widely considered a milestone in biomedicine, opening new vistas of research and humanitarianism. It was largely an extension of Carlos J. Finlay's work, carried out during the 1870s in Cuba, which finally came to prominence in 1900. Finlay was the first to theorize, in 1881, that a mosquito was a carrier, now known as a disease vector, of the organism causing yellow fever: a mosquito that bites a victim of the disease could subsequently bite and thereby infect a healthy person. He presented this theory at the 1881 International Sanitary Conference, where it was well-received. A year later Finlay identified a mosquito of the genus Aedes as the organism transmitting yellow fever. His theory was followed by the recommendation to control the mosquito population as a way to control the spread of the disease.
His hypothesis and exhaustive proofs were confirmed nearly twenty years later by the Walter Reed Commission of 1900. Although Reed received much of the credit in history books for "beating" yellow fever, Reed himself credited Finlay with the discovery of the yellow fever vector, and thus how it might be controlled. Reed often cited Finlay's papers in his own articles and gave him credit for the discovery in his personal correspondence.  In the words of General Leonard Wood,  a physician and U.S. military governor of Cuba in 1900: "The confirmation of Finlay's doctrine is the greatest step forward made in medical science since Jenner's discovery of the vaccination for smallpox."
This discovery helped William C. Gorgas reduce the incidence and prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases in Panama during the American campaign, from 1903 onwards, to construct the Panama Canal. Prior to this, about 10% of the workforce had died each year from malaria and yellow fever.
In 1912, he posthumously received what would come to be known as the Walter Reed Medal in recognition of his work to combat yellow fever. A tropical medicine course is also named after him, Walter Reed Tropical Medicine Course. The National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland holds a collection of his papers regarding typhoid fever studies. Philip Showalter Hench, a Nobel Prize winner for Physiology or Medicine in 1950, maintained a long interest in Walter Reed and yellow fever.  His collection of thousands of items—documents, photographs, and artifacts—is at the University of Virginia in the Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection. More than 7,500 of these items, including several hundred letters written by Reed himself, are accessible online at the web exhibit devoted to this Collection.
In addition to that medal, course, and a stamp issued in his honor (shown), locations and institutions named after the medical pioneer include:
Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH), Washington, D.C. was opened on May 1, 1909, seven years after his death.
Reed Hall at Radford College (now Radford University) was constructed in 1939 as the original home for the sciences and named for Dr. Walter Reed. It is now part of the Artis College for Science and Technology at Radford.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) opened in 1977 as the successor to WRGH and closed in 2011; it was the worldwide tertiary care medical center for the U.S. Army and was utilized by congressmen and presidents.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), near Washington, D.C., is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the DoD and successor to the Army Medical School.
Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, operating under the direction of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research conducting research on the systematics of medically important arthropods.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a new hospital complex constructed on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, dedicated in 2011.
Walter Reed Birthplace, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Riverside Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester, Virginia (near Reed's birthplace) opened on September 13, 1977.
Arlington County, V
Walter Reed