SMALLPOX

By Meghan Burrage

What is Smallpox?

• A serious contagious disease due to a virus

• Once worldwide, causing illness and death

• It mainly affected children and young adults

• Family members often infected each other

• In the past, had a death risk of 30%

How is Smallpox Caused?

• Smallpox is caused by the variola virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family

• There are two forms: variola major and variola minor

• Spreads from one person to another by saliva droplets

• Spread through bed-sheets and clothing

How are the Two Forms Different?

• Variola Major is a life-threatening form of the virus. It is life-threatening to those who have not been vaccinated

• Variola Minor is milder and rarely causes death

What are the Symptoms of Smallpox?

• Backache• Delirium• Diarrhea• Excessive bleeding• Fatigue• High fever• Malaise• Severe Headache• Vomiting• Raised pink rash – turns into sores that become

crusty on day 8 or 9

What Are Some Complications of Smallpox?

• Arthritis and bone infections• Brain swelling• Severe bleeding• Skin infections (sores)• Eye infections• Pneumonia • Scarring• Death

Deletion

• World Health Organization (WHO) wiped out all known smallpox viruses in the 1970s except for a few samples saved for government research.

• Whether or not to kill the last samples or to preserve it in case there may be some future reason to study it.

Vaccination

• If the vaccine is given within day one and four, illness will be less severe or prevented

• After the symptoms start, treatment is limited

• No vaccine anymore, no smallpox any more

• If diagnosed, must be immediately isolated

Bibliography

Photo’shttp://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-twoworlds/5.0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

Infohttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/smallpox/en/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002332/