Smallpox

Topic

Smallpox was an acute, highly infectious disease caused by the Variola virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus. Characterized by a distinctive progressive skin rash and high fever, it was historically one of the world's deadliest diseases. Following a successful global vaccination campaign, the World Health Organization certified the global eradication of smallpox in 1980, making it the only human disease to be completely eradicated.