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Article: Smallpox: Eradication, Storage, and Potential Use as a Bacteriological Weapon
- Article from:
- World of Microbiology and Immunology
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Smallpox: eradication, storage, and potential use as a bacteriological weapon
Historically,
smallpox
was one of the most feared diseases in the ancient world. After an extensive and successful eradication program, the
World Health Organization
(
WHO
) certified the global eradication of smallpox infection in 1980. There has not been a single reported case of smallpox infection in over 20 years. However, smallpox was once a deadly disease with the power to decimate populations. Successful efforts to prevent the spread of smallpox through
vaccination
changed the course of Western medicine and indeed, the history of smallpox is a fascinating testament to the effect of health and ...