Information About Smallpox

Smallpox, a highly contagious disease, is unique only to humans. The smallpox virus is caused by two virus variants called Variola major and Variola minor. Variola major is the more deadly form of the virus; it usually has a mortality rte of 20-40 percent of those that are infected with the virus. Variola minor on the other hand is much less severe and only kills 1% of its victims.

Smallpox is one of the most devastating diseases in the history of mankind. Believed to originate more than three millennia ago in India or Egypt, epidemics caused by smallpox have decimated populations across continents. Smallpox is not highly contagious; however, it can be transmitted through prolonged contact, and the symptoms can be severe. Apart from the usual fever, it can also leave someone covered with hideous pustules (rather like an outbreak of chicken pox, but many times worse) and can produce permanent scarring.

After the anthraz attacks on the United Sates in 2001, there have been several concerns that smallpox has/will resurface and possibly become a virus for us in bioterrorism. These concerns have in turn raised more concerns about the availability of vaccine stocks. The concerns are soo great in fact that, President George W. Bush of the U.S.A. has ordered all of his American military personnel to be vaccinated against smallpox and has implemented a voluntary program for vaccinating emergency medical personnel.

There were two types of smallpox recognized in the 20th century; variola minor which had a fatality rate of less than 1%, and variola major which had a fatality rate of around 30%.

Smallpox

Fever: 2 to 4 days before rash

Rash: Pocks at the same stage of development, deep seated

Distribution: More pocks on the extremities

Pocks on the palms and soles: Usually present

Death: 30%

All known stocks of variola virus (smallpox) stocks are kept under security at two places: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta and the State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia.

The reason that the impact is hard to determine is because people were not always accurately diagnosed before the smallpox vaccine was discontinued. There are no accurate records concerning the number of American people who suffered from AD and therefore, how they reacted to vaccinations. Because of this, it is important for all people who have AD (most people call this eczema, even though there are several forms of eczema) to be wary of the smallpox vaccination. Approximately 17 million American people have this disease.

Vaccinia Immune Globulin (VIG) is used in treatment if you are exposed to the virus. With prompt treatment, you should have little trouble, but patients who have been exposed become seriously ill, manifesting systemic symptoms and possibly death if treatment for the disease is still denied.

Smallpox may have been eradicated from the wild, but there’s reason to believe that some strains may be in the hands of some hostile sources. The existing virus also has some unpleasant side-effects, and there is some doubt about the extent of its effectiveness against certain strains.

By: altruist jone

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