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Viruses are microscopic biological organisms offensive in nature. Human beings have been combating viruses since times remote. Some battles were won, but never the war. One of the most eminent and destructive epidemics throughout human history is the bubonic plague, better known as the Black Death. Since its first attack on human beings, the casualty count produced by the bubonic plague has been astronomical. The epidemics not only inflict damage physically, but also psychologically on human beings. It is remarkable how such nearly invisible agents can instill so much fear in humans. Daniel Defoe¡¦s A Journal of the Plague Year is a masterpiece in journalistic fiction which brings literature, microbiology, and human behavioral psychology together. The book simply describes scenes from the 1665 London bubonic plague attack through the eyes of a narrator amidst the turmoil. However, it also serves as a guide book to human behavior in desperate times. Defoe vividly describes the plague, the suffering, the horror, and most importantly, the society, the people, and their reactions. With the Journal, Defoe blurred the line between factual and fictitious writing. He wrote a fiction based on factual data which very probably served as a warning aimed at public awareness towards epidemics. Some suspect that the Journal was merely an instrument of government propaganda; whichever the case, this book still constitutes as a milestone in epidemic literature as well as journalistic fiction. This thesis aims mainly at analyzing the relationship between the plague and humans. It is interesting to observe how the plague changed human behavior and induced some of the most common flaws in human character out of deep fear: mutual distrust, paranoia, superstition, opportunism, madness, anger, and hostility. The fragility and vulnerability of the human psyche are exposed in epidemic times such as in the recent SARS outbreak. Unavoidably, the destructiveness of the plague makes it evil in human eyes. However, it is possible to discover the positive and constructive sides of the plague instead of just the negative attributes. People tend to rely on religion in seeking comfort, explanation, and spiritual support. There are people who devote themselves to religion as well as those who choose a different path. At the end of the discussion, we take a look at how religion plays an important role in counteracting the epidemics¡¦ delirious effect on human beings.

O presente trabalho discute a construção sociotécnica da peste bubônica no Rio de Janeiro de 1897 a 1906. Tem como aporte teórico a teoria do ator-rede e como metodologia o acompanhamento de cientistas, médicos e políticos brasileiros interessados no combate à peste, analisando as polêmicas que se envolveram, e que redes sociotécnicas foram por eles mobilizadas. As fontes utilizadas foram: trabalhos científicos publicados no Brazil-Medico; debates veiculados na imprensa diária e os relatórios da Diretoria Geral de Saúde Pública (DGSP). As principais polêmicas foram em torno do tempo de incubação, letalidade e forma de transmissão da doença. A incubação implicava diretamente no tempo em que os navios ficariam submetidos à quarentena e o Governo Federal acreditava que ela durava 20 dias. Entretanto, pressões exercidas por diferentes atores, como a Associação Comercial de Santos, foram aos poucos mudando essa política e também a compreensão do período de incubação e da letalidade da doença. Em 1904, as quarentenas contra a peste foram extintas no Brasil e era consenso a doença não ser tão letal nem ficar incubada por um período superior a 10 dias. A questão da transmissão implicava diretamente na adoção de medidas sanitárias. Em 1900, o Governo Federal acreditava que a doença era transmitida pelo ar, ou por objetos, por isso a adoção de desinfecção de casas e no isolamento de pessoas contaminadas. Entretanto, em São Paulo, existia outra concepção sobre a transmissão e o extermínio de ratos era a principal medida. No Rio de Janeiro, alguns personagens, como Ismael da Rocha, defendiam a estratégia de São Paulo Com isso, foram estabelecidas duas redes, uma que concedia um papel aos ratos e outra não. A última foi vitoriosa até 1903. Naquela data, Oswaldo Cruz deu inicio a uma campanha de extermínio de ratos, que se mostrou eficaz. Quando os ratos passaram a ser considerados os culpados pela transmissão da doença mudanças ocorreram. As desinfecções passaram a se concentrar nesses animais e se planejou uma reformulação da cidade, com edifícios que vedassem a entrada de ratos e na construção de esgotos. / The present work discusses the socio-technical construction of the bubonic plague in Rio de Janeiro from 1897 to 1906. It has as theoretical support the actor-network theory and as methodology it follows Brazilian scientists, doctors and politicians in their action against the plague, analyzing the controversies in which they were involved and which socio-technical networks were mobilized by them. Sources used were: scientific papers published in Brazil-Medico, debates published in the daily press and reports from the General Direction of Public Health (Diretoria Geral de Saúde Pública DGSP). The main controversies were around the incubation time, lethality and method of transmission of the disease. Incubation affected directly the amount of days ships would be submitted to quarantine and the Federal Government believed that it lasted 20 days. However, pressure exerted by different actors, such as the Santos Commercial Association, were slowly changing this politic and also the understanding regarding the incubation period and the diseases lethality. In 1904, quarantines against the plague were extinguished from Brazil and it became a consensus that this disease wasnt very lethal and that the incubation time wasnt superior to 10 days. The matter of transmission implied different sanitary actions. In 1900, the Federal Government believed that the disease was transmitted through air or by objects, and therefore adopted actions such as house disinfection and isolation of contaminated people. However, in São Paulo, there was another conception regarding transmission, with the killing of rats being the main sanitary action. In Rio de Janeiro, some characters, such as Ismael da Rocha, were in favor of São Paulos initiative. Therefore, two networks were established, one where rats had an important part and another where they didnt. This last network was victorious until 1903. At that time, Oswaldo Cruz began a rat-killing campaign, which proved to be effective. When rats were considered as responsible for the transmission of the disease, different changes occurred. Disinfections became focused on this animals and a renovation of the city plan was done, with buildings that sealed the entrance of rats and the construction of sewers.

O presente trabalho discute a construção sociotécnica da peste bubônica no Rio de Janeiro de 1897 a 1906. Tem como aporte teórico a teoria do ator-rede e como metodologia o acompanhamento de cientistas, médicos e políticos brasileiros interessados no combate à peste, analisando as polêmicas que se envolveram, e que redes sociotécnicas foram por eles mobilizadas. As fontes utilizadas foram: trabalhos científicos publicados no Brazil-Medico; debates veiculados na imprensa diária e os relatórios da Diretoria Geral de Saúde Pública (DGSP). As principais polêmicas foram em torno do tempo de incubação, letalidade e forma de transmissão da doença. A incubação implicava diretamente no tempo em que os navios ficariam submetidos à quarentena e o Governo Federal acreditava que ela durava 20 dias. Entretanto, pressões exercidas por diferentes atores, como a Associação Comercial de Santos, foram aos poucos mudando essa política e também a compreensão do período de incubação e da letalidade da doença. Em 1904, as quarentenas contra a peste foram extintas no Brasil e era consenso a doença não ser tão letal nem ficar incubada por um período superior a 10 dias. A questão da transmissão implicava diretamente na adoção de medidas sanitárias. Em 1900, o Governo Federal acreditava que a doença era transmitida pelo ar, ou por objetos, por isso a adoção de desinfecção de casas e no isolamento de pessoas contaminadas. Entretanto, em São Paulo, existia outra concepção sobre a transmissão e o extermínio de ratos era a principal medida. No Rio de Janeiro, alguns personagens, como Ismael da Rocha, defendiam a estratégia de São Paulo Com isso, foram estabelecidas duas redes, uma que concedia um papel aos ratos e outra não. A última foi vitoriosa até 1903. Naquela data, Oswaldo Cruz deu inicio a uma campanha de extermínio de ratos, que se mostrou eficaz. Quando os ratos passaram a ser considerados os culpados pela transmissão da doença mudanças ocorreram. As desinfecções passaram a se concentrar nesses animais e se planejou uma reformulação da cidade, com edifícios que vedassem a entrada de ratos e na construção de esgotos. / The present work discusses the socio-technical construction of the bubonic plague in Rio de Janeiro from 1897 to 1906. It has as theoretical support the actor-network theory and as methodology it follows Brazilian scientists, doctors and politicians in their action against the plague, analyzing the controversies in which they were involved and which socio-technical networks were mobilized by them. Sources used were: scientific papers published in Brazil-Medico, debates published in the daily press and reports from the General Direction of Public Health (Diretoria Geral de Saúde Pública DGSP). The main controversies were around the incubation time, lethality and method of transmission of the disease. Incubation affected directly the amount of days ships would be submitted to quarantine and the Federal Government believed that it lasted 20 days. However, pressure exerted by different actors, such as the Santos Commercial Association, were slowly changing this politic and also the understanding regarding the incubation period and the diseases lethality. In 1904, quarantines against the plague were extinguished from Brazil and it became a consensus that this disease wasnt very lethal and that the incubation time wasnt superior to 10 days. The matter of transmission implied different sanitary actions. In 1900, the Federal Government believed that the disease was transmitted through air or by objects, and therefore adopted actions such as house disinfection and isolation of contaminated people. However, in São Paulo, there was another conception regarding transmission, with the killing of rats being the main sanitary action. In Rio de Janeiro, some characters, such as Ismael da Rocha, were in favor of São Paulos initiative. Therefore, two networks were established, one where rats had an important part and another where they didnt. This last network was victorious until 1903. At that time, Oswaldo Cruz began a rat-killing campaign, which proved to be effective. When rats were considered as responsible for the transmission of the disease, different changes occurred. Disinfections became focused on this animals and a renovation of the city plan was done, with buildings that sealed the entrance of rats and the construction of sewers.

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