Final answer:
The founders of tropical medicine include Sir Ronald Ross, Carlos Finlay, and Sir Patrick Manson, among others. They contributed to the discovery of disease transmission mechanisms and founded institutions that advanced the study of health issues prevalent in tropical regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The founders of tropical medicine are not attributed to a single individual due to the collaborative nature of the field. Instead, several key figures made significant contributions in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sir Ronald Ross, who discovered the transmission of malaria by the Anopheles mosquito, is considered a pioneering figure in tropical medicine. Carlos Finlay, who theorized that mosquitoes were the carriers of yellow fever, also made essential contributions. Furthermore, Sir Patrick Manson, known as the father of tropical medicine, made substantial contributions by researching diseases that plagued tropical regions and founding the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. These individuals, along with others like Alphonse Laveran and David Bruce, who identified the causative agents and vectors of major tropical diseases, were instrumental in establishing the field of tropical medicine. This multidisciplinary field combines aspects of various medical fields, focusing on the health issues that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions.