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Smallpox Eradication and Human Morality in Evolution Isao Arita* National Hospital Organization, Kumamoto Medical Center, Japan

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Smallpox Eradication and Human Morality in Evolution Isao Arita* National Hospital Organization, Kumamoto Medical Center, Japan ccines & a V f V a o c l c a i n Arita, J Vaccines Vaccin 2013, 4:4 n a r t u i o o n J Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination DOI: 10.4172/2157-7560.1000188 ISSN: 2157-7560 Review Article Open Access Smallpox Eradication and Human Morality in Evolution Isao Arita* National Hospital Organization, Kumamoto Medical Center, Japan Abstract Successful WHO smallpox eradication is considered to be the unprecedented event in history of human evolution, namely human species’ long struggle with vicious pathogen termed variola or smallpox. The victory resulted from human efforts, firstly recent scientific discovery of vaccine and epidemiological strategy to interrupt the smallpox transmission and secondly the human species’ joint effort to eradicate smallpox despite difference in nationality, race, religions and politics worldwide. In this article, specifically the second elements are discussed in view of Charles Darwin’s struggle for existence and natural selection and his few followers’ opinions that human genome may have an important role in evolution process, for instance, of ethics, morality, as expressed in” Nature via Nurture”: Genes, experience, what makes human. Since the time unmemorable human species suffered considerable tragedy of smallpox disaster, themselves as well as their family and friends without knowing how to escape: Perhaps their ancestors sad memories could have influenced the minds of the staff or villagers, how to contribute themselves for rescuing their fellow human species: Please read and think for the future of human species. Keywords: Smallpox; Human species; Vaccines; Environmental include the social (nature versus nurture) elements that evolved from stress people’s experience dealing with smallpox disasters that occurred since prehistoric time. These involve the intersection of morality and social Introduction responsibility that include sympathy, altruism and cooperation among In 1980 the World Health Assembly declared that smallpox had smallpox patients, their families and friends. On the negative side, been eradicated from the world. With eradication, all participating these also include social defects highlighted by smallpox epidemics- member states agreed that smallpox vaccination could be discontinued. the parochialism and hostility directed toward smallpox virus and the Almost a half century has passed since that declaration and there has people affected by it. been no smallpox transmission at all. Here immense human efforts The eradication programme had to confront issues from both were truly successful. Indeed, it would not be an over statement to say group A and group B. The more technical group A issues were distinct that the event of smallpox eradication is an unprecedented historical and frequently discussed in published reports from the time. On the event in long history of human evolution and human survival on this other hand, the group B issues evolved with the evolution of the human planet. It was a victory of the human species in its fight against negative species as it repeatedly dealt with smallpox disasters. forces – in this case a virus called variola of which its sole reservoir was man. Based on these headings, this essay will discuss how smallpox eradication (SME) was ultimately successful. Following eradication, there have been multiple publications describing how, by applying the latest medical technology, the Darwinism and Human Morality Behavior programme succeeded. These publications describe the immense Darwin, late in his life, tried hard to understand complex human global collaboration that under leadership of the WHO, the technical behaviors such as altruism and parochialism within the greater realm of agency of UN succeeded despite differences between nations, races, progressive evolution [3]. At that time he did not have facilities to study religions and inequality. One 1500 page publication, known as the the behavior of large mammals like chimpanzees and gorillas. Instead, “Red Book” [1], describes this immense effort. In addition, among the he based his conclusions on his studies of small animals, flowers and many smallpox publications, one, “Princes and Peasants: Smallpox in insects. Despite these limits, he believed that large mammals, including History” by Donald Hopkins [2], covers the broader historical story the human species, possessed special instincts such as morality, of smallpox. The book describes how smallpox virus behaved over the sociality, and mutual assistance. He surmised that such instincts, or past 2-4000 years and how humans responded to its on slaught before nature, would be strengthened as these animals, having developed such technological advances led to preventative vaccines. instincts or nature, would eventually dominate as their numbers would Given the frequency of infection, the human misery caused by increase through natural selection and the struggle for existence. The smallpox was immense and it caused the fall of some civilizations. The end result would be an evolutionary advantage for their species. purpose of this essay is to examine how such an immensely negative Darwin’s idea, in fact, has been promoted by his colleague, Thomas human experience eventually resulted in positive actions that ended this virus presence in nature. I am neither an anthropologist nor a molecular biologist, but I *Corresponding author: Isao Arita, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto strongly suspect that in a Darwinian sense*, our ancestors efforts to Medical Center, Kumamoto 860-0008, Japan, E-mail: [email protected] confront diseases likely evolved over the generations. And, in the case Received May 14, 2013; Accepted May 23, 2013; Published May 26, 2013 of smallpox, these efforts likely crystallized over time to eventually Citation: Arita I (2013) Smallpox Eradication and Human Morality in Evolution. J lead to a successful worldwide eradication program. I propose to Vaccines Vaccin 4: 188. doi:10.4172/2157-7560.1000188 divide the critical elements of this endeavor into two general groups. Copyright: © 2013 Arita I. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted One, “Group A” may be defined as those that include the technical and use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and managerial elements. Another, “Group B” may be defined as those that source are credited. J Vaccines Vaccin ISSN:2157-7560 JVV an open access journal Volume 4 • Issue 4 • 1000188 Citation: Arita I (2013) Smallpox Eradication and Human Morality in Evolution. J Vaccines Vaccin 4: 188. doi:10.4172/2157-7560.1000188 Page 2 of 6 Henry Huxley, who wrote “Evolution of Ethics” [4]. Further, in more of 2013). Notably, the success of this effort resulted from the recent years, Frans de Waal reported that “in chimp, bonobo, macaque devoted efforts of the special program staffs - WHO as well as group there are morality expressions such as alliance, reciprocal national. It is not possible for me to list all of the remarkable exchange, reconciliation following aggression… and response to people that made this a success but allow me to note a few. First environmental stress” [5]. Notably such moral and social behaviors are is Bill Foege from the US. When confronted with a smallpox important elements if a species is to win the battle of natural selection. outbreak in a Nigerian village that his team had recently As Darwin defined it in his book, the Origins of Species, this was the vaccinated, he developed the ultimately successful strategy of struggle for existence. “search and containment”. In addition, Rafe Henderson from US and Maximillian Yekper from Benin need special mention. The larger implication of these observations is that human morality They undertook the valuable epidemiological field research that became distinctly strong and vivid as the human species evolved in the formed the basis of the strategy that proved successful. face of disasters. Such strength was very valuable in order to counter the immense misery caused by diseases like smallpox. Those of us working 7) The success in West and Central Africa greatly encouraged in smallpox eradication witnessed such strength in many, many humans the other African and Asian countries to take on smallpox in outbreak after outbreak. It was such an observation that brings the eradication. It also provided, as mentioned above, the effective issue to the fore in this essay. epidemiologic strategy for SME operations in the other programmes around the world. Group A: Technical and Managerial Elements Leading 8) to the Success of Smallpox Eradication In October 1975, Asia became the first continent to rid itself of smallpox transmission. It was not easy, especially in Bangladesh Below is a list of some salient historical events that I believe set the where its “Liberation war” from Pakistan disturbed its previous stage for the success of the human endeavor to eradicate smallpox: smallpox zero status. The war, during 1970-71, caused massive war refugee movements resulting in smallpox returning to 1) In 1958, the idea of smallpox eradication was first proposed by Bangladesh from India. Multiple importations resulted in a Russian delegate during the World Health Assembly (WHA). nationwide epidemics that continued for the next five years The rational was based upon the epidemiological facts that after which (in October 1975) Bangladesh again became humans were the sole reservoir of the virus and an effective smallpox
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