The Pasteur Institute was founded in 1887 in Paris, France by Dr. Louis Pasteur. This institute has always been dedicated to the study of biology, microbiology, microorganisms, and vaccines which help human kind throughout the world. There are now thirty-three Pasteur Institutes worldwide.
The Pasteur Institute has helped conquer diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis, influenza, yellow fever, polio and the plague. Dr. Pasteur invented the vaccine against rabies. This serum can be administered after a diseased animal’s attack.
Dr. Pasteur also invented a vaccine against anthrax. He called it the chicken cholera vaccine. Livestock were dying and no one knew what caused this awful disease. Pasteur discovered it was the buried, diseased animals through earth worms that were passing microbes to healthy grazing animals in the fields. With his anthrax vaccine, he was able to demonstrate the inoculated cows and sheep survived chicken cholera while the other nonvaccinated group of livestock all died without the vaccine. To this day, livestock are inoculated to prevent anthrax.
During World War I, the Pasteur Institute was instrumental in vaccinating troops against typhoid fever which is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria. 670,00 troops received the life saving vaccine. This typhoid is still a health threat in developing countries, especially for children. Vaccines are administered to those who are traveling to those areas.
Science has helped saved lives throughout the world. Historically, it has become a lifesaver for children exposed to the croup, a disease that can be serious if it causes swelling of the windpipe. Whooping cough can be very detrimental to children as well so their vaccinations are very important. Furthermore, Albert Calmette created the first overseas institute in Saigon, Vietnam. Here he brought rabies and smallpox vaccines with him from the Pasteur Institute. Calmette also created a serum for a cobra bite. The serum can be administered right after an attack. Lives can be saved through medicine.
Victoria Kamar Olivett author of The Adventures of Francie Fitzgerald