Title: Timeline of smallpox

-4000 to -3000: Estimated appearance of human smallpox virus

Gennetic evidence from the analysis of smallpox virus DNA suggest that it might transmitted to humans and evolved to a human virus around 4000 B.C. - 3000 B.C. Similar visuses exist in mammals, such as cattle, horses, apes, and camels.

165 to 170: The Antonine Plague

A major plague outbreak (pandemic) happened on 165 A.D. in the Roman Empire, during the reign of the emperor Marcus Avrelius. It seems to began in Mesopotamia. The Plague wase described in detail by physician Galen. It is mentioned that there were over 1000 deaths per day only in Rome, and the total number of deaths in the Roman Empire is estimated to be about 5-10 millions. It was, possibly, transmitted to oriental empires, as well, such as the Chinese Empire. Nowadays, it is considered to have been a smallpox pandemic.

400: Epidemic in India

Indian medical texts refer to a savage epidemic that appeared on 400 A.D. in India, and resulted in numerous deaths. The symptoms of the disease were described in detail, and all match to characteristics smallpox symptoms.

581: Establishment in Europe

The first indesputable reference of smallpox in Western Europe is made on 581 A.D., according to the symptoms descriptions by Bishop Gregory of Tours. He lived in the Franks Kingdom under the Merovingian reign and he came across with victims of the disease himself. There had been several epidemic outbreaks of smallpox in Western Europe since then, until the smallpox virus was established in European populations passing to an endemic state.

735 to 737: Epidemic in Japan

A smallpox epidemic was recorded on the years 735-737 in Japan, which lead to about 1 million people, about 1/3 of Japan population. It is considered to came from contacts of Japanes with residents of the Korean peninsula. Smallpox was considered to be a demon in Japanese tradition.

865 to 925: First description of smallpox

The persian physician Aby Bakr al-Razi had a prolific work on medical writings, about which he was relied to a great extent on personal research and cases from the Bagdat hospital. He made the oldest known written scientific desctrioption of smallpox, which he destincted from measles and chickenpox.

1868 to 1907: Epicemics in India

Numerous successive smallpox epidemics were recorded on years 1867-1907 in India. Smallpox infections were very often. It is estimated that about 4,7 people died due to smallpox during this period. Even 40% of the population died of smallpox, in some cases.

1700 to 1800: Establishment in Russia

Smallpox was highly prevelant in the Euriopean part of thre Russian Empire during the 18th century. It is estimated to have caused about 400 thousand deaths, most of which were children. Smallpox was so common that time in Russia that is is considered that the majority of the survivals had develeped immunity with the means of natural selection.

568 to 571: Introduction to Africa

The first record od smallpox in Africa dates back to 568 A.D. after a war between the Arabs and Ethiopean troops. It is considered that smallpox was delivered deeper in the African continent via these troops. The expansion of the Arabs to the African shores, and the establishment of trade stations, contributed to the further expansion of smallpox tn Africa.

1864: Epidemic in Angola

Smallpox was transmitted to areas of the African inland, mainly, after the conquest of the Africa by the Europeans. A major smallpox epidemic happened on 1864 in Angola, resulting to about 25 thousands deaths, about the 1/3 of the local population.

1713: Epidemic in South Africa

Entire tribes were disappeared during the 1713 smallpox epidemic in South Africa.

1811 to 1890: Epidmeics in Ethiopia and Sudan

Six smallpox epidemics were recorded in Ethiopia and Sudan during years 1811-1890. They caused a lot of deaths, mainly on the locals and whole ethnotic groups were disappeared. The Europeans were hit less severily because they practiced variolation.

1789: First epidemic in Australia

About a year after the discovery of Australia by the Europeans, a smallpox epidemic hit the Aborigin populations. The deaths are estimatd count be over the half of them.

1913: Epidemic in New Zealand

The indigenous Maori people were hit by a smallpox epidemic on 1913 in New Zealand. The last indigenous inhabitants of the Easter Islands, the Rapa Nui, also died because of smallpox.

1520 to 1521: Pandemic in the Aztec Empire

A member of the group of Spanish conquistadors unde Hernan Cortez was infected by smallpox after a battle with othe groups of Europeans in the Carribean Islands, who was already infected. Then, Cortez attacked and enslaved the Aztec Empire in Cental America. It is estimated that over 90% of Native Americans were killed by diseases that were introduced by the Europeans, since their immune system had never encoutered them before. About 25% of the Aztec army died due to smallpox in 1521. European missionaries mentioned that thousands of Aztecs got sick and died.

1532: Pandemic in the Incas empire

The first attack of Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro against the Incas empire in South America was made in 1532. The first smallpox outbreaks happend soon after. Smallpox was transmitted along the whore Incas Empire via its developed road network. It is estimated that about 60% to 90% of the Incas died of smallpox.

1633 to 1721: Epidemics in North America

The Europeans introduced smallpox to North America during its conquest. Several successive outbreaks were recoreded that severely hit Native American tribes, such as the Mohicans and the Iroquise. Numerous outbreaks were, also, recorded in the first British Colonies, especially in Massachusetts.

1709 to 1832: First vaccinations in America

The first smallpox vaccines were introduced to America by physician Valentine Seaman on 1799. People were hesitants, at start, buy the first programme of free vaccinations for poor citizens of New York was carried out in 1802. The federal government enacted a mass vaccination programme against smallpox for Native Americans.

1901: Compulsory vaccinations in the U.S.A.

After a smallpox outbreak in Boston, the Authorities dicided that vaccination was necessary. They enacted a compulsory vaccination programme that was lanched door-to-door, but faced many reactions.

Μετά από μια έξαρση ευλογιάς στη Βοστόνη, οι αρχές αποφάσισαν ότι ο εμβολιασμός του πληθυσμού είναι απαραίτητο. Εφάρμοσαν πρόγραμμα υποχρεωτικού εμβολιασμού κατά της ευλογιάς πόρτα-πόρτα αλλά συνάντησαν πολλές αντιδράσεις.

1702 to 1703: Epidemic in Canada

A smallpox epidemic hit the city Quebec of Canada in 1702-1703, during which about 1/4 of the city population died.

1549: First references of variolation

The first mention of variolation dates back to some Chinese medical texts of 1549. Variolation is the ancestor of vaccination. In variolation, people are infected on purpose with some mildly infectious kinds of the cowpox virus. Cowpox is not dangerous to humans. However, because of the similarity between smallpox and cowpox viruses, variolated people are immune to smallpox, to some extent. Variations of variolation were practised in areas of China, India, Middle East and the Balkans, which are, sometimes, refered to as inoculation.

1713: Expansion of variolation in Europe

Lady Mary Montagu observed variolation practised in Constantinople, when her husband was a British ambassador in the Ottoman Empire. He wrote letters to the British Empire notifying them about the variolation practice, and making it known to Western Europe. Variolation got several supporters in Western Europe, but most doctors were reluctant. However, the practice was spread among royal families and the families of Louis XV in France and Catherine the Great in Russia did variolation as a pretentive measure.

1700 to 1720: Impovement of variolation

Greek doctors Iacovos Pylarinos and Emmanuel Timonis examined variolation in depth in Constantinople. They learnt the practice from rural families of Thessaly and Peloponnese (Greece). They understood the scientific basis under this practice of folk medicine, and developed it to be safer and more effective.

1796 to 1798: First smallpox vaccines

Doctor Edward Jenner studied deeply variolation and conducted successful variolation experiments in 1796, which offered immunity against smallpox. In other experiments he noted that mild forms of the human smallpox virus can, also, offer smallpox immunity to humans, which had never pbserved before. During a smallpox epidemic in 1798, Jenner launched a mass variolation programme which proved to be successful. With the variolation technique, and the use of cowpox or horsepox viruses, the first smallpox vaccines were made.

1798 to 1800: Introduction of vaccination to America

The smallpox vaccines were, first, introduced to the American States by Jenner's collegues. Vaccination was studied by American doctors and was soon spread across the country.

1811 to 1815: Introduction of vaccination in France

Napoleon Bonaparte was a zealous supporter of vaccination and promoted it across the France Empire. This lead to an important decrease of smallpox cases.

1853: Children vaccinations in England

A legal act was published on 1853 in England that made smallpox vaccination compulsory for infants.

1804 to 1808: Spread of vaccination in Latin America

A large scale campaigne on the promotion of smallpox vaccinations was launched by the Spanish Empire during 1804-1808 in the Spanish colonies in Central and South America.

1955 to 1967: Modern smallpox vaccines

After many years of experiments the modern technology smallpox vaccines were developed. Evolution of medicine, microbiology and technology enabled the development of vaccines that were free of the variolation concept and used live-attenuated smallpox viruses, like most vaccines of that age. Vaccines had, from now on, less side effects, were more effective, were produced and done in safer conditions in terms of hygiend and sterility, and were able to be made and stored in large scale. These vaccines were selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be run worldwide.

1967: Initiation of the eradication programme

World Health Organism (WHO) began a world project for the global eradication of smallpox via mass vaccination programmes. Such programmes were organized, administrated and lauched worldwide. Similar attempts for the global eradication of smallpox had been made since 1950, and smallpox cases were very low in Europe and North America.

1971: Last case in America

The last case of smallpox in America was recorded on 1971 in Brazil.

1975: Last case in Asia

The last case of smallpox in America was recorded on 1975 in Bangladesh.

1977: Last case in Somalia

The last case of smallpox in Αfrica was recorded on 1977 in Somalia.

1980: Eradication of smallpox

In 1980, World Health Organization (WHO0 declared smallpox as the first infectious disease to be totally eradicated globally via vaccination.