The first report from the State Board of Health was released on this date in 1891. The establishment of the State Board of Health was in response to the public and political will to create a statewide agency to coordinate quarantine and disinfection efforts after several serious yellow fever outbreaks. At the time, a multitude of theories abounded about the cause and proper treatment of yellow fever, spawning widespread panic among Floridians. The State Board of Health began coordinated efforts to better understand the causes of infectious diseases, and also better plan for regional and statewide responses. As a result of the 1891 report, quarantine stations were established at Tampa and Pensacola.
