1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak
The 1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak was the largest outbreak of smallpox in Europe after the Second World War. It was centered in SAP Kosovo, a province of Serbia within Yugoslavia, and the capital city of Belgrade. A Kosovar Albanian Muslim pilgrim had contracted the smallpox virus in the Middle East. Upon returning to his home in Kosovo, he started the epidemic in which 175 people were infected, killing 35. The epidemic was efficiently contained by enforced quarantine and mass vaccination. The 1982 film Variola Vera is based on the event.
| 1972 Yugoslav smallbox outbreak | |
|---|---|
Field physicians checking an immunization reaction in a man during a smallpox epidemic, Kosovo, 1972 | |
| Disease | Smallpox |
| Virus strain | Variola |
| Location | SAP Kosovo and Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Index case | A Muslim pilgrim from SAP Kosovo |
| Dates | 16 February - 11 April 1972 |
| Confirmed cases | 175 |
Deaths | 35 |
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.