The Conquest of Smallpox

Smallpox, once a major scourge, is now close to extinction. The eradication of this disease has been accomplished not by a recent scientific discovery but by a carefully planned international effort conducted by dedicated people. The actions that have led to this landmark achievement are described by Paul F. Wehrle, MD, in this issue ofThe Journal(p 1977). Since man is the only host for propagation of the smallpox virus, prevention of transmission to the point where no new cases are reported means eradication of all wild strains of the virus. The last recognized case of smallpox occurred in Birmingham, England, in August of this year. A laboratory photographer, Janet Parker, contracted the disease in the laboratory where she was employed and died Sept 11 in an isolation hospital. She had 39 close contacts, and 196 casual contacts were identified. These persons were closely followed up, but none have