A viral disease that infects cows and can be transmitted to humans, historically important because immunity to cowpox provided protection against smallpox.
From 'cow' (bovine animal) + 'pox' (from Old English 'poc,' a pustule or disease). The term became medically significant after Edward Jenner's vaccination discovery in 1796.
Cowpox is arguably the most important animal disease in history—it directly led to vaccination and the eventual eradication of smallpox, proving that studying diseases in animals could unlock lifesaving human medicine and changing the entire trajectory of public health.
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