Ali Maow of Somalia has the distinction of being the world’s last recorded victim of smallpox, a disease he acquired in 1977. For the first time ever, through a program of vaccination and quarantines, health authorities have succeeded in eradicating a disease from the world. A sample of the smallpox virus is still kept under tight security by both the American and Russian governments for potential research purposes, but chances are that the curse “may the pox be on you” will be an idle one.
