One of the most important things to do in order to prevent the spread of illness is to make sure that you keep things clean. In public places this is particularly important as germs can easily be spread to many people, and having a good janitorial supplier like this https://simplehygienesolutions.co.uk/janitorial-equipment-supplier-near-me/ who can provide you with all the necessary cleaning products is vital.
Despite the fact that there are lots of illnesses that can be spread when hygiene is poor, there are also lots of illnesses that are no longer a threat in the UK. Thanks to good healthcare, illnesses that were a concern only a few generations ago are not something that we have to worry about nowadays. Here are some of the diseases that the UK has eradicated…
Smallpox – A deadly illness that once claimed millions of lives and the death rate of people who contracted it was around 30%, so it was certainly something to fear. However, in the 18th Century, Doctor Edward Jenner created the first ever smallpox vaccine, when he noticed that milkmaids who were exposed to the less deadly cowpox were seemingly immune to smallpox.
A local boy, the 8-year-old James Phipps became the first recipient of a vaccine, when the material from a cow pox sore was injected into him. After a couple of days of illness, he recovered and when later exposed to smallpox he was proved to be resistant.
Rabies – The UK is a rabies free country, and the last case of rabies being caught by a human in the UK was in 1902. A vaccine is available for rabies, but it is a disease with a nearly 100% fatality rate and treatment for the disease must be started before symptoms of it start to show. Most commonly transferred via dog bites, it can also be passed on from bats and other wild mammals.
Polio – Another illness that once claimed a lot of lives and left many more people with lifelong disabilities is polio. The disease is usually contracted by young children, and there is no cure for it once it is in the body, making vaccination the best way to stop it. In the 50s and 60s, two polio vaccines became available, ensuring that children could be protected from this terrible illness.
