10 Diseases That Can Be Eradicated

Dr. John Treanor administers the smallpox vaccine to a volunteer using a specialized two-pronged needle. NIH

Eradicating a disease is one of the most ambitious goals in medicine, as it promises to alleviate and prevent suffering for countless individuals. However, achieving this is incredibly challenging. Complete eradication, which involves eliminating an infectious disease entirely so it no longer exists, has only been achieved once, with smallpox. Despite numerous attempts, success remains rare.

Globally, six major efforts have been launched to eradicate diseases: yellow fever, malaria, yaws, smallpox, polio, and dracunculiasis. While the first three still cause significant harm and fatalities annually, smallpox was successfully eradicated in the 1970s. Polio and dracunculiasis are now close to being wiped out entirely.

These limited successes inspire scientists, healthcare workers, aid groups, and donors to continue their efforts to permanently eliminate some of the most dangerous and devastating diseases.

Continue reading to explore these initiatives and uncover details about the top 10 diseases that can be eradicated.

10: Smallpox

Smallpox stands as the ultimate example of disease eradication. It remains the only fully successful case to date. For millennia, the disease spread worldwide, causing numerous outbreaks, killing up to 30% of those infected, and leaving survivors with scars and blindness. It affected people of all social classes, including Queen Mary II of England, Tsar Peter II of Russia, and King Louis XV of France, all of whom succumbed to it. This changed in 1796 when Edward Jenner, an English scientist, developed the first vaccine using the cowpox virus, a related but less deadly disease. After a global eradication campaign spanning over a century, the last case of smallpox was recorded in 1977.

9: Guinea Worm Disease

Damou Akou, a Ghanaian Red Cross volunteer, educates locals on filtering water from a Guinea worm-contaminated source using a specialized cloth. NIH

Guinea worm disease, or dracunculiasis, is nearing eradication and could become the second success story. In 2009, only around 3,000 cases remained worldwide, a significant drop from million cases in 1986 [source: The Carter Center]. The disease spreads when people consume stagnant water contaminated with water fleas carrying Guinea worm larvae. Inside the body, the larvae mature into female worms, which can grow up to 3 feet (.91 meters) long. The worms cause painful blisters as they exit through the skin, usually on the feet or ankles. To ease the discomfort, infected individuals often soak in water, allowing the worms to release larvae, which are then consumed by water fleas, restarting the cycle.

8: Polio

During a National Immunization Day (NID) in 2000, the district immunization officer in Gorakhpur, India, administers the polio vaccine to a group of children. NIH

Poliomyelitis, commonly known as

polio, primarily affects children, though it can infect individuals of any age. The disease spreads through direct contact or exposure to contaminated mucus or feces. It can swiftly invade the nervous system, leading to paralysis within hours. From the mid-1800s to the 1900s, polio was a global epidemic. However, the introduction of polio vaccines has reduced cases by 99%. Today, organizations like the World Health Organization, CDC, Rotary International, UNICEF, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are working to eradicate polio completely.

7: Measles

A nurse gives a vaccination, such as the MMR vaccine, into the shoulder muscle of a young boy. NIH

Despite the availability of a reliable vaccine, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children [source: World Health Organization]. Each year, over 20 million people, primarily in Africa and Asia, are affected by measles. However, progress has been made. In 2008, approximately 83% of children received their first dose of the measles vaccine by age 1, a significant increase from 72% in 2000 [source: World Health Organization]. The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, often administered before starting school, has saved millions of lives and offers hope for many more.

6: Rubella

Known as "German measles," rubella is a deceptive illness that can sometimes go unnoticed. Typically, it causes an itchy rash that starts on the face and spreads downward. While people of any age can contract the rubella virus, it is rare in infants and those over 40. Fortunately, rubella is usually mild, and those infected are advised to stay home for about a week to prevent spreading the virus.

5: Mumps

Similar to measles, mumps is a viral infection that was once a global threat before the development of the vaccine. Today, it primarily impacts individuals in developing countries with limited access to vaccines. The most noticeable symptom is swelling of the salivary glands. After recovery, individuals gain lifelong immunity to the virus, similar to chicken pox.

4: Lymphatic Filariasis

This individual is afflicted with elephantiasis in the leg, a condition caused by filariasis. NIH

Mosquitoes are not only annoying but also dangerous, as they transmit numerous severe diseases, including lymphatic filariasis. This condition spreads from mosquitoes to humans, targeting the lymph nodes (small, immune-regulating organs in areas like the neck and groin). If left untreated, it weakens the immune system and can lead to elephantiasis, characterized by skin thickening and severe swelling of body parts. Over 120 million people globally are affected by this disease, though it is absent in the United States.

3: Cysticercosis

Worms, much like mosquitoes, can be highly dangerous due to the diseases they transmit. For instance, the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) infects both humans and pigs, leading to cysticercosis. The cycle starts when a pig, often in rural areas of developing countries, consumes food contaminated with the worm's eggs. These eggs develop in the pig's muscles, and humans contract the disease by eating undercooked infected pork. The consequences are severe, including brain lesions, muscle swelling, epileptic seizures, and vision issues. Fortunately, a combination of anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory medications can effectively treat the condition.

2: River Blindness

Another microscopic worm causes a severe illness. This time, it's Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted by infected blackflies. When a person is bitten, they can develop onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness. Symptoms include skin rashes, eye lesions leading to blindness, and nodules under the skin. Once a leading cause of preventable blindness and skin disease, efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) have significantly reduced its impact.

1: Malaria

Women in the Babile district of eastern Ethiopia are provided with mosquito nets as part of Africa's largest bed net distribution campaign to combat malaria. NIH

The last disease on our Top 10 list is malaria. Despite global eradication efforts, this disease remains deadly, claiming around 1 million lives annually. Eradication is unlikely due to the rapid mutation rate of the parasite responsible. However, malaria is both preventable and treatable. Prevention methods include using mosquito repellents, insecticide-treated bed nets, and oral medications. Treatment typically involves strong antibiotics.

Eliminating malaria is an ambitious goal that many have pursued. Notably, four Nobel Prizes have been awarded for malaria-related research: Sir Ronald Ross (1902), Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran (1907), Julius Wagner-Jauregg (1927), and Paul Hermann Muller (1948).