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On Oct. 16, 1975, 3-year-old Rahima Banu of Bangladesh became the last human infected with naturally occurring smallpox (variola major). When her immune system killed the last smallpox virus in her body, it also killed the last such smallpox virus in humans. In what is arguably mankind’s greatest achievement, smallpox was eradicated.
Our war with this smallpox virus was brutal. It appears likely that the virus killed about one billion of us. Initially, our only defense was our immune system, but eventually we developed new tools, including vaccination. In the late 1950s, the World Health Organization began responding to outbreaks by vaccinating everyone in the surrounding area to prevent the virus from spreading. By 1975, we had won.
The smallpox virus had only a single host species: us. Other viruses have multiple hosts. For example, some strains of flu live in both humans and pigs, hence “swine flu.” If smallpox had had a second host, eradicating it in humans would have been of little value, since it would have thrived in its second host and later re-emerged in...
Our war with this smallpox virus was brutal. It appears likely that the virus killed about one billion of us. Initially, our only defense was our immune system, but eventually we developed new tools, including vaccination. In the late 1950s, the World Health Organization began responding to outbreaks by vaccinating everyone in the surrounding area to prevent the virus from spreading. By 1975, we had won.
The smallpox virus had only a single host species: us. Other viruses have multiple hosts. For example, some strains of flu live in both humans and pigs, hence “swine flu.” If smallpox had had a second host, eradicating it in humans would have been of little value, since it would have thrived in its second host and later re-emerged in...