Hideyo Noguchi

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Hideyo Noguchi

1887-1928

Japanese bacteriologist who was the first to demonstrate the presence of Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, in the brains of persons suffering from paresis (tertiary syphilis). Most of Noguchi's research in bacteriology and virology was carried out at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York City. Noguchi also contributed to studies of poliomyelitis, trachoma, yellow fever, and Carrion's disease. He died of yellow fever while conducting research on that disease in Africa.