Smallpox (Variola) Jen Swank, Jason Rodrigue, Anthony Worm

Overview Virus, therefore no cure Infectious and contagious Originally called the “Red Plague” Later called “Small Pox” to distinguish from the “Great Pox” (Syphilis) Vaccine available Humans are only known natural hosts Declared eradicated The name comes from “pox” the Latin word for “spotted” Many forms Majora, Minora, Flat, Hemorrhagic Related to Cowpox and Chickenpox

History Major epidemic during the Renaissance. –Mainly from the 15 th to the 18 th c. –1440’s – Killed more people in France than the plague Vaccination method discovered Last reported case in US – 1949 Last natural reported world case – Somalia 1977 Declared Eradicated in 1980 –Nations still have stocks of it however

Causes, Spreading, & Symptoms Caused by virus, therefore not curable Patients become immune after recovery, so vaccination is possible Highly Contagious –Spread as aerosol through tiny droplets discharged from mouth and nose –Bodily fluids and discharge 1-2 week incubation period. (not contagious)

1 st Stage (~days 1-7) High fever ( °F), back and muscle pains, and vomiting occur before breakout. (2-4 days) Small red spots surface. –Start on palms and bottom of feet –(4 days) Person is contagious Fever falls and rash spot turn into raised bumps (BB size) Bumps fill with thick puss. Called pustules

2 nd Stage (~days 8-15) Fever returns Bacteria begins to infect the pustules (5 days) Pustules can combine Most deadly stage Pustules begin to scab (5 days)

Recovery (week 3) Pustules continue to scab and begin to fall off (6 days) Scars remain where pustules were Most gone after 3 weeks Person still contagious until all pustules have fallen off Person develops long-term immunity to virus

Casualties The pocks do not kill the patient Death is caused by secondary infection –Lung, heart, and brain especially Most deaths occur during 2 nd week Case Type VirusMortality Rate MildVariloa Minora~1 % SevereVariloa Majora~25-30 % Flat & HemorrhagicVariloa Majora Rare & Usually Fatal

Treatment Only treatment is vaccination Feasible vaccine developed in 1796 by Edward Jenner. Heard that people infected with Cowpox did not catch Smallpox Cowpox is minor disease caused by a different virus that causes only minor irritation 1 st vaccination performed on 8 year old James Phipps from a cowpox lymph

Sources Center for Disease Control and Prevention La Belle Compagnie Inc. UCLA online library d/smallpox/ d/smallpox/ World Health Organization