eradication of smallpox

The global eradication of smallpox On May 8, 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly declared the world free of smallpox. READ MORE: How 5 of History's Worst Pandemics Finally Ended. The eradication of smallpox has shown that resounding victories Smallpox is a contagious, disfiguring and often deadly disease that has affected humans for thousands of years. Three-year-old Rahima Banu with her mother in Bangladesh. A member of the Smallpox Eradication Program team visited every house, public meeting area, school, and healer within 5 miles to ensure the illness did not spread. In response to the situation, in 1962 the government of India launched the National Smallpox Eradication Program (NSEP) with a focus on mass vaccination of the population. In 1981, the four countries that either served as a WHO collaborating center or were actively working with variola virus were the United States, England, Russia, and South Africa. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in Somalia in 1977. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! ‘Decisive factor’ In fact, the smallpox inoculation was the world’s first vaccine, according to WHO. During variolation, people who had never had smallpox were exposed to material from smallpox sores (pustules) by scratching the material into their arm or inhaling it through the nose. Prevention of just one case during this period could permanently destroy a smallpox chain. In fact, in its earliest days, the smallpox eradication pro-gram was a minor concern of the WHO. There is no record of a smallpox-like illness in the Americas before European contact, and the fact that Europeans brought pox with them was a major factor in their conquest and near-eradication of many of the indigenous peoples of North, South and Central America. First, the disease was easily diagnosed. One of the deadliest diseases known to humans, it is also the only human disease to have been eradicated by vaccination. Smallpox is an acute, febrile, contagious disease caused by the variola virus, which is a member of the family Poxviridae. There are now only two locations that officially store and handle variola virus under WHO supervision: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology (VECTOR Institute) in Koltsovo, Russia. In 1947, a businessman from Mexico came to New York City with smallpox, sending officials into a panic. Historians trace the global spread of smallpox to the growth of civilizations and exploration. Eradication of Smallpox, which is the report of the Global Commis­ sion, carefully presents and discusses that evidence. This, in turn, fostered ways of designing, applying, and evaluating policy, which contributed to the creation of an intricate mosaic of operational diversities. The basis for vaccination began in 1796 when the English doctor Edward Jenner noticed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox were protected from smallpox. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Global Smallpox Eradication Program In 1959, the World Health Organization (WHO) started a plan to rid the world of smallpox. Something similar to smallpox had ravaged humanity for thousands of years, with the earliest known description appearing in Indian accounts from the 2 Century BCE. Chapter 12. The finding of smallpox-like rashes on Egyptian mummies suggests that smallpox has existed for at least 3,000 years. The elimination of smallpox is one of the major successes in the history of science and medicine. 1 Smallpox, an infectious disease caused by the variola virus was a major cause of mortality in the past, with historic records of outbreaks across the world. The initial strategy called for mass vaccination and assessment of achieved vaccination. Those efforts were stymied by a lack of funds, vaccine access and cooperation from countries. The disease, which carries around a 30 percent chance of death for those who contract it, is the only infectious disease afflicting humans that has officially been eradicated. By the time the Intensified Eradication Program began in 1967, smallpox was already eliminated in North America (1952) and Europe (1953). SUSANNA BIDGOOD: We've eradicated smallpox… They quickly vaccinated over 6 million people. It was one of the World Health Organization's (WHO) greatest triumphs: On May 8, 1980, the WHO declared the smallpox virus, "Variola," to be completely eradicated. Inspired by the spirited leadership of Benjamin Rush Milam, the newly created Texan Army takes possession of the city of San Antonio, an important victory for the Republic of Texas in its war for independence from Mexico. Smallpox is officially declared eradicated On December 9, 1979, a commission of scientists declare that smallpox has been eradicated. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The key to this strategy was the monitoring of cases in a community (known as surveillance) and containment. A few factors helped the ambitious smallpox eradication programme. Despite their best efforts, smallpox was still widespread in 1966, causing regular outbreaks across South America, Africa, and Asia. This extraordinary achievement was accomplished through the collaboration of countries around the world. Laboratories in many countries where smallpox occurred regularly were able to produce more, higher-quality freeze-dried vaccine. By 1984, England and South Africa had either destroyed their stocks or transferred them to other approved labs.   The last known naturally occurring cases came from an outbreak in Somalia in 1977. Rahima was the last known person to have had naturally acquired smallpox in the world. Smallpox, infectious disease that begins with fever and headache and proceeds to an eruption of the skin that leaves pockmarks. But it is keenly read as an incentive to eradicate other infectious diseases. Smallpox is the only human disease that has been successfully eradicated. E2’s success in breaking smallpox chains made eradication … After a global eradication campaign that lasted more than 20 years, the 33rd World Health Assembly declares the world free of smallpox in 1980. WHO poster commemorating the eradication of smallpox in October 1979, which was later officially endorsed by the 33rd World Health Assembly on May 8, 1980. In 1980, the World Health Organization announced the global eradication of smallpox. Smallpox vaccination was known as variolation before the modern practice of vaccination with cowpox (Vaccinia) was demonstrated in 1796. For me it would be up there with the moon landing. Lancet. To eradicate smallpox, each outbreak had to be stopped from spreading, by isolation of cases and vaccination of everyone who lived close by. Chapter 11. Bhattacharya S. PMID: 20458782 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] They agreed to reduce the number of laboratories holding stocks of variola virus to only four locations. In fact, in its earliest days, the smallpox eradication pro-gram was a minor concern of the WHO. Following the eradication of smallpox, scientists and public health officials determined there was still a need to perform research using the variola virus. “The smallpox eradication campaign had one crucial tool that we don’t have for COVID-19 yet”, said Mr. Ghebreyesus, “a vaccine”. What lessons does the smallpox eradication program suggest for other global health programs? The eradication of smallpox relieved cataclysmic amounts of human suffering. In 1959 the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate the disease entirely. This had mostly been achieved in developed countries, but there were still millions of cases per year in Africa and Asia. She was also the last person in Asia to have active smallpox. For instance, a plan to eradicate smallpox was launched by the WHO in 1959. But it was also one of the first diseases to be controlled by a vaccine, which led to its eradication in 1980. A history of how the world health organisation eradicated smallpox permanently throughout the world. To test his theory, Dr. Jenner took material from a cowpox sore on milkmaid Sarah Nelmes’ hand and inoculated it into the arm of James Phipps, the 9-year-old son of Jenner’s gardener. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Photo courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. Polio. In 1958, the World Health Organization announced the goal of the complete global eradication of smallpox. It was believed that the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses V died of smallpox in 1145 BCE; however, recent research indicates that the actual smallpox virus may have evolved as late as 1580 CE. Cases were still occurring in South America, Asia, and Africa (smallpox was never widespread in Australia). British Prime Minister John Major announces the formal separation of Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, and his wife, Princess Diana. On May 8th, 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland officially declared that smallpox no longer existed on Earth. Welch, Jr., establishes the John Birch Society, a right-wing organization dedicated to fighting what it perceives to be the extensive infiltration of communism into American society. Clinical exams showed that those with actual vaccination scars rarely got smallpox. The disease was declared eradicated in 1980 following a worldwide program of vaccination and isolation. ‘Viruses do not respect nations or ideologies,’ he added. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. It also includes recommendations on policy for the post-eradication era to ensure that this achievement is permanent. Early written descriptions also appeared in India in the 7th century and in Asia Minor in the 10th century. Unfortunately, this global eradication campaign suffered from a lack of funds, personnel, and commitment from countries, and a shortage of vaccine donations. Simply, and with great humanity, The Eradication of Smallpox tells the story of smallpox - it's origins, the horror of the disease, and the millions of people killed or disfigured... read full description

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