Frank Fenner (1914–2010) a Guiding Light of the Campaign to Eradicate Smallpox

OBITUARY COMMENT Frank Fenner (1914–2010) A guiding light of the campaign to eradicate smallpox.

n 8 May 1980, the Australian virolo- Burnet’s group had discovered that this virus hundreds to tens of thousands of individual gist Frank Fenner stood before the was in the same family as smallpox, making it outbreaks. World Health Assembly in Geneva, a model for studying the human disease. It was thought that the smallpox virus OSwitzerland — the governing body of the Fenner’s next challenge was myxomatosis infected only humans. But greater certainty World Health Organization (WHO) — and or rabbit pox, caused by the myxoma virus. was needed. If the disease could persist in an reported that smallpox, which had plagued In 1948, massive epidemics of the disease animal reservoir — as, say, plague does in wild mankind for more than 3,500 years, had exploded across Australia, killing almost all rodents — then eradication would be impos- been eradicated. That moment marked the infected animals. The virus had been intro- sible. Primates were the prime suspects for first time in human history that a disease had duced into trial sites to evaluate its use in con- such a reservoir. In 1958, a new virus had been been wiped out. trolling rabbits, but it escaped and millions of discovered that caused a smallpox-like disease For Fenner, who died on 21 November rabbits began dying. in monkeys. In 1969, the WHO convened a at his home in Canberra, the announce- In the early 1950s, Fenner, now chair of group to design field and laboratory studies ment also represented the culmination of microbiology at the medical school of the to investigate the virus’s natural behaviour. 35 years of research on poxviruses. Fenner, author of one of the principal This included more than a decade’s virology textbooks, was a member. work on the eradication campaign, In 1970, human cases of monkey first as principal adviser, and latterly pox appeared in smallpox-free areas. as chair of the WHO commission They looked like typical smallpox. that decided when the virus had The consultant group reconvened been conquered. regularly, with Fenner providing the Fenner’s father was a writer voice of calm and reason. Not until herald morning sydney and teacher in the small town of 1979 was it proven that humans Ballarat, near Melbourne. He passed infected with monkey pox did not on his enthusiasm for geography, spread the virus easily or quickly, and geology and social history to his that cases probably resulted from vil- family. At his father’s urging, Frank lagers eating infected rodents. Eradi- studied medicine, graduating from cation of smallpox was possible. the University of Adelaide in 1939; As the programme progressed, but he retained wide interests and governments needed convincing was working on manuscripts per- that no smallpox remained, and that taining to ecological and environ- vaccination and border checks could mental questions up to his death. end. Fenner took the chair of the With war imminent, Fenner took a international commission for cer- diploma in tropical medicine before tification of eradication, which had enlisting. This, he believed, would the last word on whether the world give him a better chance of receiving was free of the virus. They exam- the more challenging assignments in ined the quality of national reports disease research and prevention. And prepared two or more years after the so it turned out. During five years of service, newly founded Australian National Univer- occurrence of a country’s last known case and primarily in New Guinea, he dealt with all sity in Canberra, began comprehensive stud- recommended some additional studies. manner of tropical diseases, reducing malaria ies of myxomatosis in the laboratory and the In December 1979, the committee was — then a major drain on Australia’s fighting field. As the epidemic peaked, there was an satisfied that the disease had been eradi- forces — to a trivial problem. He also met outbreak of human encephalitis, an inflam- cated, and submitted its report to the WHO’s his wife, ebullient army nurse Ellen (Bobbie) mation of the brain. Media reports blamed director-general. The ready acceptance of Roberts, who served as a part-time assistant the outbreak on the myxoma virus, and the report by the World Health Assembly in his laboratory. She died in 1995. vilified the authorities. To allay the panic, on that May day in 1980 was a tribute to the At 31, Fenner began his research career Fenner and two colleagues rolled up their wisdom and integrity of Frank Fenner, the late. He soon made his presence felt. His first sleeves and injected themselves with the programme’s distinguished senior mentor appointment, in 1946, to a fellowship at the virus, to no ill effect. It was a typical, if dra- and ever-willing consultant throughout the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical matic, example of his scientific confidence. campaign’s many difficult years. ■ Research in Melbourne, proved pivotal. The In 1967, the WHO began a global pro- institute’s director was Macfarlane Burnet gramme to eradicate smallpox and I was Donald A. Henderson is at the Center for (few used his first name, ‘Frank’), who in 1980 asked to be its director. That year, more than Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh won the Nobel prize for his work on immu- 10 million cases of the disease and 2 million Medical Center, and the Johns Hopkins nology. Burnet tasked Fenner to work on the deaths had occurred in 42 countries. Each School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland pathogenesis and epidemiology of ectrome- year we vaccinated, on average, 300 million 21202, USA. lia, the mouse pox virus. Only months before, people under the programme and contained e-mail: [email protected]