Final answer:
The woman known for spreading a deadly disease in New York between 1900 and 1915 as a cook is Mary Mallon, also called Typhoid Mary. She was an asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen that causes typhoid fever, infecting about 51 people and causing three deaths.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary)
The correct answer to the question is D) Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary). Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary, was an asymptomatic carrier of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the bacterium responsible for typhoid fever. She worked as a cook in New York during the early 20th century and unknowingly infected numerous people with the disease. Despite never suffering from symptoms herself, Typhoid Mary was the source of infection for approximately 51 people, leading to three fatalities. After the connection was made between her carrier status and the typhoid cases, Mary Mallon was quarantined twice; once from 1907 to 1910, and then again from 1915 until her death in 1938.
The Typhoid Mary case remains a notable study in public health and the ethics surrounding carriers of infectious diseases. The aftermath of her actions raised important questions about individual responsibility and public safety, particularly concerning those who are asymptomatic carriers of deadly pathogens.
Today, typhoid fever continues to pose a threat in regions with inadequate sanitation, with millions of cases occurring annually and resulting in a significant number of deaths. The case of Mary Mallon highlights the importance of maintaining high standards for food safety and hygiene to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like typhoid fever.