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By WHO Region: Non-Endemic countries

Summary and Regional Information


For more information, see:
Smallpox and Its Eradication (Fenner et al, WHO, 1988), Chapter 23

Smallpox Importations to Non-Endemic Countries 1958-19741

Country Year # of
importations
Locality
1st affected
Origins Cases Deaths Mortality Rate
Belgium 1961
1968
Total
1
1
2
Brussels
Namur
Zaire - air
Zaire - air
1
1
2
1
-
1
100%
-
50%
Czechoslovakia 1967 1 Prague India - air 1 - -
Denmark 1970 1 Skodsborg Afghanistan - air 2 1 50%
East Germany 1959 1 Berlin India - air 1 - -
West Germany 1958-59
1961
1965
1967
1969
Total
1
3
1
2
1
8
Heidelberg
Ansbach, Dusseldorf, Lammersdorf
Kulmbach
Regensburg, Hanover
Meschede
India - air
India (2), Liberia (1) - air
Tanzania - air
India - air
Pakistan - air
20
43
2
3
20
88
2
4
-
-
4
10
10%
9%
-
-
20%
11%
Poland 1962
1963
Total
1
1
2
Gdansk
Wroclaw
India - sea
India - air
33
100
133
-
7
7
-
7%
5%
Spain 1961 1 Madrid India - air 17 3 18%
Sweden 1962 1 Stockholm ?Indonesia - air 27 4 15%
Switzerland 1963 1 Zurich Gabon - air 1 - -
United Kingdom2





1959
1960
1961
1962
1967
1968
1973
Total
1
1
3
3
1
1
1
11
Liverpool
London
Bromwich, London, Bradford
Birmingham, Cardiff, London
London
London
London
Unknown
Malaysia - air
Pakistan - air
Pakistan - air (2), India - sea (1)
Pakistan - air
Pakistan - air
India - air
1
1
19
51
2
1
1
76
-
-
7
19
-
-
-
26
-
-
37%
37%
-
-
-
34%
USSR3 1959
1961
Total
2
2
4
Termez, Moscow
Moscow, Kirovabad
Afghanistan - land, India - air
Afghanistan - land, India - air
47
2
49
3
-
3
6%
-
6%
Yugoslavia 1972 1 Kosovo Iraq - land 176 35 20%
Total 34 573 90 16%

  1. Source: Smallpox and Its Eradication (Fenner et al, 1988), Table 23.2, p 1074
  2. In 1978, a laboratory-associated exposure in the UK resulted in 2 cases and 1 death.
  3. In 1971, an outbreak of 10 cases with 3 deaths occurred in Aralsk, Kazakhstan. Although investigated by the Soviet government, the outbreak was not disclosed to WHO until 2003. Its source remains undetermined but may have been a biological weapons facility.

Regional Information

Year Title Authors Journal URL
1970 Smallpox Surveillance Report No. 48, 9 Oct 1970
Europe: Importations 1961-1970
Smallpox unit, WHO Wkly Epidemol Rec 1970 45(41):453-8 DAH: Chesney Med Arch
1970 An airborne outbreak of smallpox in a German hospital and its significance with respect to other recent outbreaks in Europe PF Wehrle, J Posch, KH Richter, DA Henderson Bull World Health Organ 1970 43(5):669-79 PMCID: PMC2427800
1972 Smallpox in Europe, 1950-1971 Mack TM J Infect Dis 1972 125(2):161-9 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/125.2.161
1974 Importations of smallpox into Europe, 1961-1973 Henderson DA WHO/SE/74.62
and WHO Chron 1974 28: 428-30
WHO: 10665/67627