Smallpox is an ancient and very deadly disease. Scientists believe that smallpox first started around 10,000 BC in Africa. They also think it spread from Africa to India thanks to Egyptian merchants. Scientists have studied the mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh Rameses V., who died in 1156 BC, and think he had smallpox. Smallpox was known to be present in China by 1122 BC. There are also writings from India around the same time that mention smallpox. Smallpox is the only disease ever eradicated, which means it no longer exists. The last person to have it was in Somalia in 1977. Smallpox first appeared in Europe between the 5th and 7th centuries and was common in the Middle Ages. There was a smallpox epidemic around the time the Roman Empire began to fall, around 108 AD. This epidemic was known as the "Antonine Plague" and killed approximately 7 million people. Smallpox was a major cause of the fall of the Aztec Empire in Mexico and the Inca Empire in Peru. It was brought to North America by early settlers and killed many Native Americans. In the 18th century, approximately 400,000 people worldwide died from smallpox each year. About 30 percent of people infected with the main type of smallpox died. In 1800 the rate was higher for newborns; approximately 80-90% of infected children died. About a third of people who got sick but survived went blind due to blisters on their eyes. The people who survived had very ugly scars on their bodies, including their faces. In England in the 18th century, they called smallpox "the spotted monster." During the French and Indian periods in the 18th century, British soldiers used smallpox as a biological weapon. They gave blankets to people who had been… middle of paper… never been uprooted. All but two of the smallpox samples were destroyed. One is kept frozen at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and the other is kept frozen at the VECTOR Institute in Russia. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and anthrax threats, people became concerned that smallpox could be used for bioterrorism, since at least half of the people in the United States have not been vaccinated and those who have they did so more than 30 years ago. Fortunately, the smallpox vaccine works if it is given within 4 days of exposure. So, the government came up with a plan to produce and store enough vaccines for every American. If a terrorist attack occurs, exposed people will be vaccinated. The vaccine causes problems, such as allergies, in some people, so it has been decided that it will only be used if necessary.