UN agencies commemorate 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication with a stamp

News:The World Health Organisation(WHO) and the UN’’s postal agency have released a commemorative postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox.

Facts:

• Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family. 
• The last known natural case was in Somalia in 1977.It was declared eradicated in 1980 following a global immunization campaign led by the World Health Organization.
• Transmission:It is transmitted from person to person via infective droplets during close contact with infected symptomatic people.
• Symptoms: High fever, Headache, vomitings and a characteristic rash that appears everywhere on the body.
• Treatment: No cure or treatment for smallpox exists.However, a vaccine can prevent smallpox.