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Witness History: The last smallpox outbreak

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The Last Smallpox Outbreak

27/02/2020 GMT

The last smallpox outbreak

BBC World Service - Witness History, The last smallpox outbreak

Thousands of people died in the world's last major smallpox epidemic in India in 1974.

Thousands of people died in the world's last major smallpox epidemic in India, in 1974.

Thousands of people died in India during the world's last major smallpox epidemic. Individual cases had to be tracked down and quarantined to stop the deadly disease spreading. Ashley Byrne spoke to Dr Mahendra Dutta and Dr Larry Brilliant who took part in the battle to eradicate smallpox once and for all.

Photo: Smallpox lesions on the human body. 1973. Credit: Getty Images.

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