These 7 Diseases Have Been Eliminated From the United States

The founding fathers of the United States had a number of diseases to worry about that have since been eliminated in this country. Some were deadly or could result in serious complications.

These days, America has a childhood vaccination schedule that is designed to help children avoid unnecessary deadly illnesses so they can stay healthy. However, under-vaccination has brought back at least one of the diseases on this list to the U.S. Find out which diseases have been eliminated in the U.S. —at least for a time. (After this article, check out Once Common Jobs That No Longer Exist.)

Yellow fever is a disease spread by mosquito bites that causes symptoms such as fever, chills, severe headache, nausea, and vomiting. More severe symptoms include bleeding, shock, and organ failure, as well as yellow skin or eyes (jaundice) which is how this disease got its name.

According to the American Society for Microbiology, there has not been a major yellow fever outbreak in the United States since 1905. Mosquito mitigation efforts kept the disease at bay, and later an extremely effective vaccine was developed. Today, yellow fever is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of South America and Africa.

You're probably aware that malaria is also spread to humans by certain types of mosquitos. The mosquitos transmit a parasite that causes symptoms from fever and chills to fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing. Malaria can be fatal, though it does not spread from person to person.

It might surprise you to learn that malaria was once a major problem in the United States. According to NPR, the use of insecticides, drainage ditches, and window screens helped significantly reduce mosquito bites and by the early 1950s, malaria transmission was eliminated in the United States.

However, malaria is still a major problem in parts of the world such as sub-Saharan Africa, and has appeared in U.S. hospitals due to Americans traveling to these parts of the world. There is also a malaria vaccine, though it is only around 75% effective.

This is a truly incredible feat because smallpox wasn't just eliminated from the United States —today it is eradicated worldwide. The disease is believed to have existed for at least 3,000 years, with smallpox-like rashes appearing on Egyptian mummies according to the CDC.

Smallpox caused high fever, aches, chills, and other unpleasant symptoms, but its telltale sign was the widespread rash that turned into fluid-filled blisters that would eventually burst and scab over. About 3 out of every 10 people with this disease died. Those that survived often had permanent scars and some were left blind.

Thankfully, an English doctor named Edward Jenner developed a smallpox vaccine in 1796. The vaccine often left a small scar on the patients' administration site. Over many years of concentrated effort, the virus was eliminated in many countries. Eventually, it became the only virus that affects humans to be completely eradicated. There has not been a naturally occurring case since 1977.

Global efforts toward the elimination of polio have nearly been as successful as smallpox. Thanks to vaccination efforts, there has not been a naturally occurring case of poliomyelitis in the United States since 1979.

However, polio is still endemic to Afghanistan and Pakistan, which means that imported cases of the disease can appear in other countries as well. Some cases of polio are asymptomatic, while others cause mild symptoms such as fever and sore throat. In severe cases, polio can cause meningitis, paralysis, or death. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative works toward eradicating polio worldwide and it is very possible that this goal will one day become a reality.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes a tell-tale rash, as well as high fever, cough, and runny nose. The CDC also states that the disease can cause serious health complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, especially in children under five.

The United States licensed the MMR vaccine in 1971, which is highly effective at preventing measles, mumps, and rubella. Thanks to vaccination efforts, the CDC regarded measles as eliminated in the United States in 2000. However, under-vaccination has allowed for the reemergence of measles in this country.

The MMR vaccine is also highly effective against rubella (sometimes known as German measles). This disease has symptoms such as low-grade fever, headache, and pink eye, as well as a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Additionally, up to 70% of women who contract rubella may experience arthritis.

According to the CDC, the most serious complication from rubella is the harm it can cause to a developing baby. Rubella infections in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, death of the infant just after birth, or serious birth defects such as heart problems, loss of hearing and eyesight, intellectual disability, or liver damage. Rubella was eliminated in the United States in 2004 thanks to vaccination efforts.

Unlike the other diseases on this list, diphtheria is a bacterial infection rather than a virus. Respiratory diphtheria causes symptoms such as mild fever, sore throat, swollen glands in the neck, and weakness. Deadly complications such as airway blockage can also result from respiratory diphtheria, according to the CDC.

Vaccines such as Tdap are effective in preventing diphtheria. Endemic cases of respiratory diphtheria have not been reported in the United States since 2004. However, the disease remains a problem in developing countries such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic.