Extinct diseases are those completely wiped out globally, with Smallpox (human) and Rinderpest (cattle) being the only two confirmed examples, largely due to successful vaccination campaigns. While many diseases like polio, measles, and rubella are eliminated in specific regions or nearly gone, others, such as ancient Hepatitis B strains or historical plagues (like the Black Death), have gone extinct naturally or are very rare, showing viruses can disappear, though true eradication is challenging.
All thanks to the success of vaccines, smallpox caused by the variola virus (VARV) and rinderpest from the rinderpest virus (RPV) are now entirely wiped out of existence.
One of the deadliest diseases known to humans, smallpox remains the only human disease to have been eradicated. Many believe this achievement to be the most significant milestone in global public health.
Leprosy and cholera, tuberculosis and tetanus, and many child diseases, such as mumps, measles, tetanus, or meningitis are in poor countries and populations the salt of the Earth.
What are rare diseases?
The number one disease, consistently identified as the leading cause of death globally and in the U.S., is Heart Disease (Cardiovascular Disease), responsible for more fatalities than cancer and accidents combined, fueled by rising risk factors like high blood pressure and obesity, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association.
Successfully eradicated diseases
The world has successfully eradicated two diseases: Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980. Rinderpest was declared eradicated in 2011.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the TB Free India campaign – a plan to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the target set by the UN's sustainable development goals.
Abstract. The six killer diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, measles, acute lower respiratory infections, diphtheria, and whooping cough, represent the most significant contributors to the overall global burden of disease.
Medical professionals call high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, the silent killer because it can go undetected for a long period of time and leads to death. Most people who have high blood pressure do not have any symptoms; testing is the only way to determine if someone has it.
“Some of us inherit a set of immune system genes that are particularly good at dealing with one particular virus,” explains Daniel Davis, professor of immunology at the University of Manchester and author of The Compatibility Gene, which explores how immune system genes shape our biology.
The ancient disease cholera makes yet another comeback : Goats and Soda Why cholera is striking in Africa. It's a disease that's easy to control with proper treatment. But without medical care, patients can perish quickly.
7 Deadliest Diseases in History: Where are they now?
Includes Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and all its variants, fatal insomnia, kuru, Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome, Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy and others. No cases of survival, invariably fatal.
In 2025, a resurgence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease was noted in a number of countries, including some that had not reported substantial case numbers in recent years.
And it would revolutionize human health, and I think one day maybe we can cure all disease with the help of AI. Scott Pelley: The end of disease? Demis Hassabis: I think that's within reach. Maybe within the next decade or so, I don't see why not.
Smallpox is the first disease, and so far the only infectious disease of humans, to be eradicated by deliberate intervention.
The number one killer globally and in the United States is heart disease (cardiovascular disease), consistently leading as the top cause of death, responsible for a significant portion of all fatalities, with cancer and accidents/unintentional injuries often ranking second and third, respectively, according to recent data from health organizations like the WHO and CDC.
The world's deadliest disease is coronary artery disease (CAD). Also known as ischemic heart disease, CAD occurs when the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become narrowed. Untreated CAD can lead to chest pain, heart failure, and arrhythmias. The impact of CAD is worldwide.