1972 Outbreak of Smallpox in Yugoslavia

The 1972 outbreak of smallpox in Yugoslavia was the last major outbreak of smallpox in Europe. It was centred in Kosovo and Belgrade, Serbia (both then part of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). A 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, 35 of whom died. The epidemic was efficiently contained by enforced quarantine and mass vaccination. The 1982 film Variola Vera is based on the event.

Read more about 1972 Outbreak Of Smallpox In Yugoslavia:  Background, The Outbreak, Reaction, Legacy, Timeline

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