Why Smallpox Is the Only Human Disease We Successfully Eradicated

Smallpox, the sole human disease to be eradicated, is believed to have emerged in northeast Africa approximately 10,000 BC, spreading worldwide and leading to blindness, disfigurement, and fatalities. The earliest evidence comes from the mummified remains of Pharaoh Ramses V, dating to the mid-12th century BC. It claimed the lives of 1 in 3 individuals infected, with a staggering 91% mortality rate during outbreaks, contributing to the decline of empires such as Rome in AD 165 and drastically lowering Mexico's population from 25 million in 1518 to 1.6 million by 1620. Noteworthy figures affected included Marcus Aurelius in AD 180 and Queen Mary II in 1694. Variolation practices began in Asia and Africa around 200 BC, reaching Europe through Lady Mary Wortley Montague in 1721. Edward Jenner created the first vaccine in 1796. The WHO launched its Smallpox Eradication Programme in 1959, declaring the disease eradicated in 1980. Currently, virus strains are kept at the CDC and VECTOR, with plans for destruction indefinitely postponed.