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Is smallpox still a major problem today?

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Thanks for the A2A. No, it is not. Smallpox has been eradicated. See the following: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/data... Now, what this nice little article fails to say is the the U.S. and Russian Governments still have the virus on hand, supposedly for research purposes. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? read more

Not for the general population. The last case of human smallpox was decades ago, and it is considered eradicated. Samples of the variola virus, which causes smallpox, still exist in some labs. read more

Smallpox has been eradicated through the effective Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme, initiated by the World Health Organization. On 26 July 1978, WHO announced the eradication of the smallpox strain Variola Minor. The more deadly strain, Variola Major, had been eradicated several years earlier, in 1975. read more

Today, scientists keep only a small amount of the virus alive under tightly controlled conditions in the U.S. and Russia for medical research. Routine smallpox vaccinations stopped in the U.S. and in many other countries in 1972, and in all other World Health Organization member countries by 1986. read more

Smallpox is an ancient disease caused by the variola virus. Early symptoms include high fever and fatigue. The virus then produces a characteristic rash, particularly on the face, arms and legs. read more

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