A massive public health effort eradicated smallpox but scientists are still studying the deadly virus
- Written by Patricia L. Foster, Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University
Today smallpox can only be found in deep freeze inside a few highly secured laboratories, like this one at the CDC in 1980.CDC, CC BYSmallpox was a terrible scourge on humanity, killing hundreds of millions of people over the centuries. But its origin remains obscure. Egyptian mummies from 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, including that of Pharaoh Ramses...