Medical science is one of the most important growing fields today. Developments in the medical field are what allow the human race to overcome the obstacles that evolution throws at it. Vaccines could arguably be human beings’ greatest development. Louis Pasteur is credited as the first to discover the process of vaccination.] Most of the diseases on this list were fought with vaccines, one of the best allies against viruses.

What is Medical Vaccination?

The process of vaccination involves using a weakened or dead version of a virus to administer to a person’s body. The body can identify the weakened virus and produce anti-bodies to fight off the virus. These anti-bodies can be easily called upon later by the body if the disease does enter the person. Vaccines are only useful if administered before a person contracts a virus of that type, hence this is why they are administered to children. The following is a list of diseases that has been cured (although not all eradicated in the world) by science.

Rabies

Rabies was the disease that Louis Pasteur initially developed the idea of a vaccine for. It is spread by wild animals that carry the disease and leads to hydrophobia (fear of water) and a complete eventual shut down of the central nervous system. There has only been one case recorded of survival of rabies in humans when a vaccine is not administered immediately after an animal bite.

Smallpox

Smallpox is one of the only diseases on this list that has been completely eradicated on the planet since 1979. The disease caused blisters all over a person’s skin, and the blisters later fill with fluid and pop, which is what ends up spreading the disease. There has been worry that smallpox will be used in the future as a biological weapon, since it was such a devastating disease.

Nyctalopia

Also known as Night Blindness, nyctalopia was a condition where a person loses all sight at night. It was a huge epidemic in Africa and other developing counties, especially ones with no electrical lighting at night. Scientists ran tests on affected individuals and discovered that nyctalopia was caused by vitamin A deficiencies. Vitamin supplements were administered to the individuals with nyctalopia and soon after, they were able to see at night.

Malaria

This disease is a huge epidemic in third world countries and is transmitted by mosquitoes, and also through mothers to their babies. The malaria parasite attacks the liver and multiplies itself in red blood cells. There have been several different treatments made available to help combat malaria, including Atovaquone, Mefloquine, and several other medications. In development now is a process that will inhibit the ability of mosquitoes to transmit the parasite.

Polio

Polio Is one of the most devastating diseases on this list. It is a viral infection that outbreaks mostly children and causes paralysis. Although many do not see symptoms when they have the disease, if it enters the blood stream, the effects can be devastating. A vaccine was developed in the 1950s that helped drastically reduce the number of cases of polio.

If you are intrigued by the ways medical science is helping to cure the world of deadly diseases, the healthcare industry may be a possible career path. Undertaking medical training may be easier than you think, and it can play a key part in helping the human world survive the other diseases of nature.

Jeremy Schneider, a freelance blogger, writes on subjects related to health and medicine. Jeremy has also covered medical assisting and other health related college programs extensively in the past.