Adolfo Lutz (6 October 1855 – 18 December 1940) was a Brazilian physician, father of
tropical medicine and medical
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
in Brazil, and a pioneer
epidemiologist
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
and researcher in
infectious diseases.
Life
Lutz was born in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, on December 18, 1855, son of Gustav Lutz († 1891) and Mathilde Oberteuffer, a family of
Bern. He studied medicine in Switzerland, graduating in 1879 at the
University of Bern
The University of Bern (german: Universität Bern, french: Université de Berne, la, Universitas Bernensis) is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a compreh ...
. After graduation he went on to study experimental medicine techniques in London, England (where he studied with
Joseph Lister
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of ...
, 1827–1912),
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, Germany, Vienna, Austria, Prague and Paris, France (where he studied with
Louis Pasteur, 1822–1895).
After his retirement in 1908, Dr. Adolfo Lutz moved to
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, where he worked for 32 more years, until his death, on October 6, 1940, at the
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Portuguese ''Fundação Oswaldo Cruz'', also known as FIOCRUZ) is a scientific institution for research and development in biological sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; it is considered one of the world's ma ...
, created by another great Brazilian physician and epidemiologist,
Oswaldo Cruz
Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz, better known as Oswaldo Cruz (; August 5, 1872 – February 11, 1917), was a Brazilian physician, pioneer bacteriologist, epidemiologist and public health officer and the founder of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute.
He occup ...
, and where he was a director of the Institute of Experimental Pathology.
His daughter,
Bertha Lutz (1894–1976), was a Brazilian zoologist, feminist and politician.
Work
Upon his return to Brazil in 1881, Lutz initially worked as a general clinician in the small city of
Limeira
Limeira is a city in the eastern part of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The population is 308,482 (2020 est.) in an area of 581 km2. The elevation is 588 m. It is 154 km from São Paulo, the state capital, and 1011 km f ...
, state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
for 6 years. Wishing to pursue medical research, he returned to
Hamburg
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Hamburgian(s)
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, Germany once again, to work with
Paul Gerson Unna
Paul Gerson Unna, (September 8, 1850, Hamburg – January 29, 1929, Hamburg) was a German physician specialized in dermatology and one of the pioneers in dermatopathology. Biography
Paul Unna was the son of Moritz Adolph Unna, a physician from H ...
(1850–1929), specializing in
infectious diseases and
tropical medicine. As a result of his increasing fame, he was invited to the post of director of
Kalihi Hospital, in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
, where he carried out research on
leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
. Following this, he worked for a while in California, United States, before returning in 1892 to Brazil, attending an invitation from the government of the state of São Paulo to direct the Bacteriological Institute (later renamed in his honor to
Instituto Adolfo Lutz, still in existence today in the city of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
. The city of
Santos was undergoing a severe epidemic of
bubonic plague and Lutz went to work on it together with two other young physicians who would become luminaries of Brazilian medicine,
Emílio Ribas and
Vital Brazil. Vital Brazil and Lutz became friends, and Lutz supported Vital Brazil's pioneering research on
antivenom
Antivenom, also known as antivenin, venom antiserum, and antivenom immunoglobulin, is a specific treatment for envenomation. It is composed of antibodies and used to treat certain venomous bites and stings. Antivenoms are recommended only if th ...
s for snake bites, contributing decisively for the creation of another institution in São Paulo, exclusively devoted to ophydian research, the
Instituto Butantan
Instituto Butantan (in modern Portuguese, Instituto Butantã, ) is a Brazilian biologic research center located in Butantã, in the western part of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Instituto Butantan is a public institution affiliated with the S� ...
. This serology institute hosted a plant for producing
vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified. s and
antisera
Antiserum is a blood serum containing monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies that is used to spread passive immunity to many diseases via blood donation (plasmapheresis). For example, convalescent serum, passive antibody transfusion from a previ ...
against several diseases, such as
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
and plague.
Lutz was the first Latin American scientist to study in depth and to confirm the mechanisms of transmission of
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...
by the ''
Aedes aegypti
''Aedes aegypti'', the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its le ...
'' species of
mosquito
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...
es, its
natural reservoir
In infectious disease ecology and epidemiology, a natural reservoir, also known as a disease reservoir or a reservoir of infection, is the population of organisms or the specific environment in which an infectious pathogen naturally lives and r ...
and
vector
Vector most often refers to:
*Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction
*Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism
Vector may also refer to:
Mathematic ...
, as they had been discovered a few years before, by American physician
Walter Reed
Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 22, 1902) was a U.S. Army physician who in 1901 led the team that confirmed the theory of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species rather than ...
. Lutz was also responsible for the identification of
South American blastomycosis, which received his name (
Lutz-Splendore-de-Almeida disease). His dedication to public health was also paramount to the research and fight of several epidemics in many points in Brazil, such as
cholera,
bubonic plague,
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
,
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
,
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
,
ankylostomiasis,
schistosomiasis and
leishmaniasis; which were then widely prevalent as tropical diseases in the state, due to the poor conditions of poverty, hygiene and ignorance about its transmission mechanisms. To this purpose, Lutz travelled widely across Brazil, visiting often the country's hinterland along the
São Francisco River.
Among his many accomplishments, Adolfo Lutz was also a pioneer researcher on medical
entomology and the therapeutic properties of Brazilian plants (
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
,
ethnopharmacology and
phytotherapy). As a zoologist, he described several new species of
amphibians and insects such as ''Anopheles lutzii'' (an
Anopheles
''Anopheles'' () is a genus of mosquito first described and named by J. W. Meigen in 1818. About 460 species are recognised; while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus ''Plasmodium'', which ...
mosquito).
Adolfo Lutz is honored in the
scientific names
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
of two species of Brazilian amphibians and reptiles: ''
Paratelmatobius lutzii'', a frog; and ''
Bothrops lutzi'', a venomous snake. For his work on tropical diseases, Lutz received a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1938
[Pittella JEH (2018). "The Nobel Prize database as an indicator of the internationalization of Brazilian science from 1901 to 1966 (in Portuguese)". História, Ciências, Saúde - Manguinhos, v. 25, n. 2, p. 569-590.]
See also
*
Lutz-Jeanselme syndrome
References
External links
Instituto Adolfo Lutz Home page.
Sabrosky's Family Group Names in DipteraReferences to Lutz work on Diptera.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lutz, Adolfo
1855 births
1940 deaths
Brazilian people of Swiss-German descent
Brazilian tropical physicians
Brazilian entomologists
People from Rio de Janeiro (city)
University of Bern alumni
20th-century Brazilian physicians
19th-century Brazilian physicians