[Abolition of compulsory vaccination against smallpox. Increased danger to humans from animal smallpox? (author's transl)].

After the world-wide eradication of human smallpox, compulsory vaccination against smallpox will no longer be applicable in future in most countries. Although the human smallpox virus (variola virus) appears to have no animal reservoir, humanity is increasingly endangered in future by animal smallpox viruses pathogenic in man against which he has been so far protected by the general smallpox vaccination. This is a virus type of the Genus Orthopox virus. The risk from animal pox viruses, which are not related to the Orthopox virus, remains unchanged. Of the animal Orthopox viruses the monkey pox viruses deserve special attention; possibly rodents also play a decisive role in transmission of smallpox.