World Health Organization Announces Eradication of Smallpox
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events: 1900-2001
- Categories: Science, Medicine, Health
- Subcategories: Epidemics, Diseases, Organizations, Agencies, Institutions
- Curriculum: 20th & 21st Century European History
- Geographical Location: Geneva
- Date: December 9, 1979
Article abstract: The last known case of smallpox was observed in Somalia in late 1977, and two years later, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the virulent disease had been eradicated from the earth.
The Disease
Smallpox is a highly infectious disease that begins with shivers or convulsion, high fever, and intense low back pain, followed by characteristic red spots, pimples, and blisters (“pocks”) that erupt with pale yellow liquid all over the body. Known throughout most of recorded human history, the disease seems first to have...
[The entire page is 1024 words long]
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