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Which human disease has been declared eradicated from the world through global vaccination efforts?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Small pox

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on an important achievement in public health and epidemiology. Eradication means that a disease has been reduced to zero cases worldwide, and no further ongoing control measures are required except monitoring. Very few human diseases have ever reached this status, so it is a classic general science question.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The options list small pox, poliomyelitis, leprosy, and seizures.
  • Eradication here refers to global eradication, not only control in one country.
  • We assume standard World Health Organization usage of the word eradicated.
  • We also note that seizures are a symptom, not a single infectious disease.


Concept / Approach:
Smallpox was a severe viral disease caused by the variola virus. With a coordinated global vaccination program led by the World Health Organization, smallpox cases were reduced steadily, and the disease was officially declared eradicated in 1980. Polio and leprosy have been greatly reduced but still exist in some regions. Seizures are neurological events that can have many causes and are not a single infectious disease. Therefore the only correct choice is small pox.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Recall that smallpox historically caused major epidemics and high mortality but became the target of a massive vaccination campaign. Step 2: Remember that the World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated in 1980 after the last naturally occurring case in 1977 in Somalia. Step 3: Consider poliomyelitis. Global programs including oral polio vaccine have reduced cases by more than ninety nine percent, but small pockets of transmission still exist, so the disease is not fully eradicated. Step 4: Consider leprosy. Drug treatment and early detection have controlled leprosy in many countries, but sporadic cases still occur, so it is not fully eradicated. Step 5: Consider seizures. This is a general term for abnormal electrical activity in the brain and is not an infectious disease that could be eradicated. Step 6: Therefore, the only disease in the list that has truly been eradicated worldwide is small pox.


Verification / Alternative check:
Any standard school textbook on health or a reliable public health source will list smallpox as the first and so far one of the only human diseases to have been completely eradicated worldwide. Polio is often described as near eradication, which confirms that it cannot be chosen as the answer in this question.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Poliomyelitis is wrong because, although it is close to eradication, cases still occur in some countries.
  • Leprosy is wrong as it has been controlled in many regions but not removed completely across the globe.
  • Seizures is wrong because it is a symptom category, not a single infectious disease that can be eradicated.


Common Pitfalls:
A common confusion is between eradication and elimination. Elimination refers to reducing a disease to zero cases in a specific region, while eradication means zero cases globally. Many learners vaguely remember that polio is under an eradication program and may mistakenly think it is already fully eradicated. Carefully recalling the formal declaration about smallpox helps avoid this mistake.


Final Answer:
Small pox

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