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On May 8, 1980, a total eradication was announced, i.e. the defeat of smallpox. The disease, also known as smallpox, has accompanied mankind for millennia and has killed hundreds of millions of people. Defeating smallpox is a great achievement for mankind – it is the only infectious disease that has been completely eliminated thanks to vaccination.
- Monkey pox reminds us of the smallpox epidemics, because these diseases are caused by related viruses
- In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced the eradication of smallpox
- Disease caused by the smallpox virus (Orthopox virus) was extremely dangerous – it was severe and killed millions of people around the world
- The complete defeat of smallpox is one of humanity’s greatest victories. It is the first infectious disease to be eliminated thanks to an effective vaccine
- Smallpox should not be confused with chickenpox, a highly contagious disease that is still common around the world.
- More interesting stories can be found on the Onet homepage.
How dangerous was smallpox?
Smallpox has been known to mankind for thousands of years, has caused epidemics and numerous deaths, and its complications have led to blindness. First smallpox symptoms is (according to WHO) high fever and fatigue. The next stage of the disease involves a characteristic rash that appears especially on the face, arms and legs. The eruptions fill with fluid, then with pus, and over time turn into scabs that fall off.
The virus causing the disease, i.e. Orthopoxvirus, belonging to the herpesvirus, was transmitted mainly by direct contact with sick people and by airborne droplets. There was also a risk of infection through contact with clothes, bedding and objects with which the patient came into contact. Smallpox mortality on average, it was up to 30%, but it also depended on the form of the disease and could be higher. The most aggressive varieties of smallpox even killed over 80 percent. infected people. The highest mortality was observed in unvaccinated persons.
Note: Smallpox is a different entity than chickenpox.
Smallpox in the world and in Poland
Scientific evidence suggests that smallpox caused havoc in antiquity. It is suspected that it was she who could have caused the Athenian plague and the Antonine plague in ancient Rome. There is no doubt, however, that the smallpox brought from Europe in the XNUMXth century decimated the Indians living in North and South America.
Smallpox also raged in XNUMXth-century Europe, killing several hundred thousand people a year. In those days, it was responsible for up to a third of the blindness cases recorded at that time. Depending on the form of the disease during the epidemic 20 to 60 percent died adults and even over 80 percent kids.
An effective smallpox vaccine was first used in 1798. Over the years, the preparation has undergone modifications and introduced into wider and wider use. In the end, smallpox was completely eradicated in 1980.
Natural smallpox infection was last found in Somalia in 1977, but it was a milder form of the disease. A year later, the last death from the disease took place, when the virus most likely escaped from the Birmingham Medical School laboratory – the infected woman died a month after the infection.
Last local case smallpox in Poland was recorded in 1937, but there have also been cases of bringing the disease into the country. Smallpox outbreaks were detected in 1953, 1962 and 1963. The last attack of the disease affected Wrocław in 1963 – 99 people became infected and three died.
Smallpox eradication – how did it happen?
The fight against smallpox took a long time, and millions of people died before it was won. Initially, different communities independently introduced variolization, which was not a perfect method, but limited the mortality from smallpox to some extent. It consisted in the prophylactic infection of healthy people with the secretions of mildly manifesting smallpox.
Inventor smallpox vaccines was the English physician Edward Jenner. He used methods based on variolation and in 1796 he created the first version of the vaccine, which began to be used in humans. Smallpox immunity was acquired thanks to the vaccinia virus present in the preparation.
In 1972, 18 million people were vaccinated against smallpox in Yugoslavia within 10 days.
Over the years, smallpox has been reduced in some countries, but the problem persisted in poorer countries. Therefore, in the 60s, WHO implemented Intensive Smallpox Eradication Program with a global reach. Vaccination began on a massive scale, and as early as the mid-70s there was talk of eradicating smallpox in the world. The World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox as early as December 9, 1979, but the official elimination of the disease was announced on May 8, 1980.