ON THIS DAY...

December 9, 1979

SMALLPOX, one of the world’s deadliest and most infectious viruses, was declared eradicated by a team of scientists. Their conclusion was backed the following year by the World Health Organisation.

It was a huge milestone for medicine. Although the origins of the disease is unknown, the earliest recorded evidence of smallpox dates back to the third century BC in Egypt.

It was a horrifying illness. Initial symptoms included fever and vomiting, followed by sores all over the skin which, after a couple of days, turned into fluid filled lumps. The effects often included blindness and, in 30 per cent of the cases, death. Those who survived could be left with severe scarring.

It would occure in outbreaks. The 17th and 18th centuries in Europe both saw smallpox ravage the population and one notable victim was Queen Mary II, who contracted the disease