Eradication of infectious diseases

**Eradication** is the lowering of an infectious disease's numbers in all those suffering from it in the world's population to zero. It is sometimes confused with elimination of infectious diseases. That is the lowering of an infectious disease's numbers in all those suffering from it in a *local* population to zero. The only human disease to be eradicated is smallpox. The only animal disease eradicated is rinderpest. Vaccination was vitally important to the eradication of smallpox Vaccination is vitally important to current polio eradication efforts.

The World Organisation for Animal Health thinks the animal diseases which could be soonest eradicated are African swine fever, Bovine tuberculosis, Foot and mouth disease and *Peste des petits ruminants* (PPR, ovine rinderpest). A disease which is easier to eradicate is more eradicable. A disease which is easier to eradicate has a higher eradicability.

Former President of the United States of America Carter wants to make Guinea Worm the 2nd eradicated human disease.

Eradication requires many resources. For this reason it is hard to decide whether to eradicate a disease or not. When deciding people consider: Does the disease have a secondary host? (A secondary host will still have the disease if the disease is eradicated in humans.) Can we clearly identify who has the disease? Does an accurate diagnostic exist? Is there enough money? Is there enough political support?

It is possible that eradication of human disease is only possible if humans are the only host.

## COVID-19
Elimination of COVID-19 is only possible if travel is severely reduced. Some experts think this disease may have slightly higher eradicability than polio. The World Health Organization is not certain that vaccines alone will be sufficient.

Some experts believe COVID-19 eradication is impossible.

Some experts believe COVID-19 eradication is possible.

## Lymphatic filariasis
The World Health Assembly created the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in 1997. The Carter Center International Task Force for Disease Eradication  encourages Haiti and the Dominican Republic to cooperate to do this.

## Malaria
Eradication of malaria is made more difficult by: mosquito resistance to insecticides; political instability in countries with malaria and lack of funding for malaria eradication programmes. One of the things causing malaria in humans is *P. knowlesi*.

Malaria elimination is made easier or harder 

Gene drives are a method of malaria eradication. Gantz *et al.*, 2015 created a gene drive for *Anopheles stephensi*.

Malaria has been eliminated in some places.

Eradication of avian malaria is also important. This is made difficult by the long term contagiousness of some wild birds. In 2003 there were 8 cases of malaria in Florida. The American Society for Microbiology believes these 3 transmissions are not related. Genetically modified mosquitoes have been released to reeradicate malaria in small areas.

Malaria was eliminated from Sardinia.

Malaria eradication is difficult for several reasons.

Vietnam is working to eliminate human malaria.

## *Monkeypox virus*
Some experts think that *Monkeypox virus* eradication will not be possible.

## Polio
In 1988 the World Health Assembly pledged to eradicate polio. In 1988 the World Health Assembly created the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Pakistan's programme has a staff of 339,521. To prevent polio from coming back after eradication we must stop using the oral vaccine and begin only using the inactivated vaccine.

The current pandemic has set back progress in polio eradication.

## *Dracunculus medinensis*
Eradication of *Dracunculus medinensis* from humans is in progress.

In 2022 the world made the best progress ever in eradicating this disease.

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## *Rubella virus*
*Rubella virus* eradication is easier than *Measles morbillivirus* eradication and *Mumps orthorubulavirus* eradication.

## *Salmonella enterica* serovar Typhi
Doing away with all *Salmonella enterica* serovar Typhi is also known as *Salmonella* Typhi eradication. Policy makers and decision makers must be aware that eradication efforts have failed many times. Experts expect eradication to take decades.

## Smallpox
In 1966 the World Health Organization created the Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the eradication of smallpox "stands as the greatest public health triumph in history."

After smallpox eradication there has been cessation of routine smallpox vaccination.

## *Treponema pallidum* subsp. *pertenue*
The World Health Organization's *Treponema pallidum* subsp. *pertenue* eradication campaign has dismissed the idea that eradication increases *Treponema pallidum* infections. 

## *Trypanosoma* spp.
The Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign  is an international public health program. It works to eradicate *Glossina* and eradicate trypanosomiasis.

The global spread of Chagas Disease has made Chagas Disease eradication more difficult.

## *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Tuberculosis team funds research to eradicate *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*. The Bacillus of Calmette and Guérin (BCG) vaccine may help to eradicate this pathogen.

## *Xanthomonas axonopodis* pv. *citri*
Florida is working to eradicate *Xanthomonas axonopodis* pv. *citri*.

## *Xylella fastidiosa*
The EU requires its members to attempt to eradicate *Xylella fastidiosa*.

## Methods
Methods include mass drug administration.

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis recommends using a combination of 2 methods. These 2 methods are mass drug administration and integrated vector management.

### Vector eradication
Methods of disease eradication include vector eradication. Vectors to be eradicated very frequently include mosquitoes. In 1944 Sardinia had 4 native mosquito species. In 1944 the Italian government and the Rockefeller Foundation initiated and funded a programme which attempted to eradicate Sardinia's mosquitoes. It succeeded in eradicating 3 of these species. This programme worked by using large amounts of DDT. It is important to eradicate invasions of *Anopheles gambiae*. Brazil eradicated *Anopheles gambiae* after the invasion of north eastern Brazil. The invasion was in the 1930s.

Methods of disease eradication include vector control.

Methods include integrated vector management. ("Integrated vector management" means eradicating diseases by using vector eradication methods. "Vectors" are the things carrying the diseases we are eradicating.)

Zika control methods include vector eradication.

### Secondary host eradication
Eradication of a disease may be accomplished by secondary host eradication.

## Research
Eradication efforts need more basic research on how vectors and diseases deal with each other. The Carter Center International Task Force for Disease Eradication  has opinions about research. It gives those opinions in annual reports.

Omar Akbari does research about this. Akbari does this in cooperation with others. Akbari has a laboratory and a research group. Akbari supervises some other researchers.   Akbari researches insect gene drives. Some insect gene drives are *Drosophila* gene drives. Some insect gene drives are mosquito gene drives. Working on *Drosophila* gene drives helps everyone to understand all insect gene drives.

*Plasmodium* oocysts are an important research target for malaria eradication. These are the eggs.

## Economics
Whether governments think other governments will pay their fare share is important in eradication efforts. Governments will be less likely to begin eradication if they think other governments will get the benefits of eradication without having to pay for it.

## References
## Other websites
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