Variola is the virus that causes smallpox, a highly contagious disease characterized by fever and a distinctive skin rash. It is an orthopoxvirus that primarily spreads through respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated objects. Smallpox was responsible for significant mortality and morbidity throughout history. The World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated in 1980 after a successful global vaccination campaign. This achievement marked the first time a disease was eradicated through human efforts. Today, Variola virus samples are kept in secure laboratories for research purposes, but the disease itself no longer poses a threat to public health.