The global eradication of smallpox was declared in 1980.

The WHO certified the global eradication of smallpox in 1980. Before 1980, smallpox was a very deadly infectious disease, but the World Health Organization, in collaboration with all countries including India, controlled the disease. Today smallpox virus has been eradicated all over the world. Identification of this disease, small rash on the patient's skin turns out to be quite dense and explosive. After this, symptoms like influenza, fever, headache, severe back pain, and nausea are seen in the disease.

Smallpox (चेचक ) was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977 and the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980.

1798, an English physician Edward Jenner observed that milkmaid and others working with dairy cattle contracted a closely related but mild form of pox called cowpox or vaccinia. apparently, those who had recovered from cowpox did not contract smallpox. Jenner, therefore, substitutes material from a cowpox lesion for the smallpox material and established the process of vaccination. The introduction of the cowpox virus to the bloodstream induces the body to manufacture antibodies that neutralize both the cowpox and smallpox viruses as they are partially similar. the WHO received in 1967 funds for an attempt at global eradication of smallpox. by a process of surveillance containment, the pox patient was isolated and every known case was vaccinated. the last epidemic occurred in 1974 in Bangladesh and in 1976 in Ethiopia. In October 1977 the WHO claimed that the last case had been isolated.on October 26, 1979, the announcement was made that smallpox had been eliminated from the earth, the first such claim made for any disease. the virus is said to exist only in four research laboratories of the U.S. A, Russia, U.K, and Japan permitted by the WHO. 

WHO report: Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family. It was one of the world's most devastating diseases known to humanity. The last known natural case was in Somalia in 1977. It was declared eradicated in 1980 following a global immunization campaign led by the World Health Organization. Smallpox is transmitted from person to person via infective droplets during close contact with infected symptomatic people.


Smallpox is a devastating disease caused by the variola virus. In 1980, following a historic global campaign of surveillance and vaccination, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated – the only infectious disease to achieve this distinction.
The Smallpox Eradication Programme - SEP (1966-1980)


The symptom of smallpox:

The early symptoms are chills, fever, and general prostration. within fall in temperature, a pink-red spot called macules appears, first on the scalp and forehead, then on neck and extremities, and finally on the trunk. The spots turn to pink pimples or papules and later fluid-filled vesicles (variola).



In the final stage :
the vesicles advance to pustules, covering the body surface. When they break open, the pus comes out. They are deep in the skin rather than on the surface as in chickenpox. the pustules may form a soft crust, which falls of leaving a pitted scar or pock.


Transmission:

Smallpox is transmitted by contact with the skin or any of the body fluid including blood, urine, or droplets.