Disease Category
Infectious Diseases

World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA)

The WRCEVA program maintains the Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses Reference Collection and provides reagents and support for investigations of virus outbreaks throughout the world. 

Vaccine Development Services

The Vaccine Development Services program offers a collection of preclinical services to support the development of vaccines intended for use in the investigation, control, prevention, and treatment of a wide range of infectious agents (other than HIV).

This is one of several programs provided by NIAID's Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases to support infectious disease product developers.

Early Phase Clinical Trial Units

The Early Phase Clinical Trial Units (EPCTUs) support the design, development, implementation, and conduct of Phase 0 to Phase 2 clinical trials, including proof-of-concept studies in healthy, special, and disease-specific populations, carried out in an expeditious and efficient manner, aided by bioanalysis when necessary, against viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal pathogens and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The candidate products assessed through the EPCTUs may include licensed or investigational products such as small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, i

Therapeutic Development Services - Interventional Agents

Therapeutic Development Services - Interventional Agents program provides services to facilitate preclinical development of therapeutics and new in vivo diagnostics for infectious pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and toxins. Services will be conducted at the appropriate regulatory compliance level dependent on the stage of product development.

Note: Devices are excluded.

In Vitro Assessment for Antimicrobial Activity Program

The In Vitro Assessment for Antimicrobial Activity program provides capability in a broad range of in vitro assessments to evaluate promising candidate countermeasures for antimicrobial activity against microbial pathogens and vectors, including those derived from clinical specimens.

This is one of several programs provided by NIAID's Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases to support infectious disease product developers.

Therapeutic Development Services - Biopharmaceutical Products

Provides services to facilitate preclinical development of materials that are derived from biotechnology processes. Services will be conducted at the appropriate regulatory compliance level dependent on the stage of product development.

Genomic Centers for Infectious Diseases (GCID) Resources

The GCID use, develop and improve innovative applications of genomic technologies, such as DNA and RNA sequencing and metagenomics, and provide rapid and cost-efficient production of high-quality genome sequences of microorganisms, invertebrate vectors of infectious diseases, and hosts and host microbiomes.

Preclinical Models of Infectious Disease

This contract program supports the development and refinement of animal models and animal replacement technologies and provides in vivo and complex human cell-based in vitro model preclinical testing services, ranging from screening and proof-of-concept to GLP efficacy studies.

BEI Resources Repository

The BEI Resources Repository is a central repository that supplies organisms and reagents to the broad community of microbiology and infectious diseases researchers. Materials are available through an online catalog. There is no charge for research materials, but domestic investigators will be required to pay for shipping costs.

Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, was a highly contagious infectious disease that caused infected individuals to develop a fever and a progressive, disfiguring skin rash. Three of out 10 individuals infected with smallpox died. Many survivors have permanent scars, often on their faces, or were left blind. Through vaccination, the disease was eradicated in 1980.  However, research for effective vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for smallpox continues in the event it is used as a bioterror weapon.

The last naturally occurring case of smallpox was reported in 1977. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been eradicated. Currently, there is no evidence of naturally occurring smallpox transmission anywhere in the world. Although a worldwide immunization program eradicated smallpox disease decades ago, small quantities of smallpox virus officially still exist in two research laboratories in Atlanta, Georgia, and in Russia.

Why Is the Study of Smallpox a Priority for NIAID?

Smallpox is a category A pathogen which are those organisms/biological agents that pose the highest risk to national security and public health because they can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person, result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health impact, might cause public panic and social disruption, and require special action for public health preparedness.

How Is NIAID Addressing This Critical Topic?

NIAID supports basic, preclinical, and clinical research needed to advance product development for biodefense and emerging infectious diseases. Product development goals in this arena have shifted from a “one bug-one drug” approach to a more flexible strategy that is applicable to a broad spectrum of infectious diseases. Specifically, this broad-spectrum approach is being used to develop products effective against a variety of pathogens and toxins; find technologies that can be widely applied to improve multiple classes of products; and establish platforms that can reduce the time and cost of creating new products. This is evident in both the treatment and vaccine research NIAID has supported for smallpox, outlined below.

Related Public Health and Government Information

To learn about risk factors for smallpox and current prevention and treatment strategies visit the MedlinePlus smallpox site.

Smallpox image
Photo of a vial of vaccinia (smallpox) vaccine

Vaccinia (smallpox) vaccine, derived from calf lymph, and currently licensed in the United States, is a lyophilized, live-virus preparation of infectious vaccinia virus. It does not contain smallpox (variola) virus.

Credit: CDC
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID)
Smallpox
Biodefense & Related Programs
Smallpox
Page Summary
Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, was a highly contagious infectious disease that caused infected individuals to develop a fever and a progressive, disfiguring skin rash. Three of out 10 individuals infected with smallpox died. Many survivors have permanent scars, often on their faces, or were left blind. Through vaccination, the disease was eradicated in 1980.  However, research for effective vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for smallpox continues in the event it is used as a bioterror weapon.
Research Area Type
Diseases & Conditions
Subscribe to Smallpox