This article aims to contribute to discussions about knowledge transfer between the West and Latin America, especially Mexico. We seek to show the international and local efforts to foster the importation of germ theory during the 1880s. We also highlight the conceptual and material hurdles which stood in the way of the incorporation of this theory and bacteriology techniques at a time when they were still being developed in Europe. Two examples are given as evidence of the political motivations of Mexican physicians in studying infectious diseases in that country.
knowledge transfer; yellow fever; Mexico; nineteenth century; Carmona y Valle
