Cholera Epidemic in Bologna, 1855: Canal Networks and Women's Working Conditions

Cristina Munno , Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
Francesco Scalone, Università di Bologna

This paper investigates the gender disparities in the 1855 cholera epidemic in Bologna, Italy. The presence of a network of canals and distinct occupational roles for women are considered as contributing factors. Cholera, a waterborne disease, thrives in contaminated water sources. In Bologna, the canal system likely affected the spread of the disease. We analyze data from the city's Burial Registers during the epidemic, which included 1,165 male and 1,825 female cases, reflecting a sex ratio of 0.638. Our analysis shows that age, rather than gender, was a significant predictor of mortality due to cholera. The risk of infection was only slightly elevated for women compared to men, and there was no evidence of a more severe outcome in women once infected. We argue that gender played a role in infection rates, but other factors, including age and neighbourhood, influenced cholera outcomes.

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 Presented in Session 117. Flash Session - Changing Mortality Patterns over Time and Space