Smallpox was a disease that was gradually eradicated. What name does it have today?
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Smallpox
Smallpox, as it used to be called, now has the medical name smallpox.
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Smallpox, as it used to be called, now has the medical name smallpox. It is a highly contagious and often fatal infectious disease caused by the variola virus. High fever and a characteristic skin rash with purulent blisters were typical of smallpox. For centuries, the disease claimed millions of lives worldwide.
It was only with the development of vaccination in the 18th century that the disease was gradually contained. The World Health Organization (WHO) finally declared smallpox officially eradicated in 1980 – a historic milestone in the history of medicine. Today, it is considered to be the first disease that humans have conquered worldwide through targeted vaccination measures.
