Smallpox Smallpox is a highly contagious virus that has no known cure. Variola, is the name of the virus that caused one of the largest epidemics known to man. Smallpox killed nearly 500 million people in the 20th Century alone. Before Smallpox was eradicated it killed nearly 60% of all infected people. Smallpox has been coexisting with humans for thousands of years and has a very long history.
Smallpox is extremely dangerous because there is no known cure. Smallpox can spread through the air and physical contact with the pox marks or anything that the pox marks touch. The Variola Virus spread so quickly that it caused over 50 million infections per year. Symptoms of Smallpox include vomiting, chills, fever, rashes, malaise, blisters,
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The first case of smallpox was found on the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses V in the 3rd Century BCE. After Egypt, in the 4th Century, variola is thought to have spread to China, where people prayed to the god Yo Hoa Long to try to prevent themselves getting sick, of course, this was to no prevail. After spreading to China, because of the increasing trade with Japan and Korea, smallpox spread even further. This deadly pathogen spread quickly, as somebody only needed to be breathed on, and they could be infected. During the 7th century, smallpox was widespread throughout India and was quickly spreading towards northern Africa, Spain, and Portugal because of the expansion of Arabic people. 300 years later, in the 10th century, variola crept into Asia Minor and modern-day Portugal. During the Crusades in the 11th century, smallpox spread further throughout Europe and infect many more unsuspecting people. Smallpox spreads to northern England, which was previously not affected by this deadly disease. When Smallpox spread to Northern England, it caused multiple outbreaks that traveled as far north as Iceland. Smallpox at this point had already killed people from Egypt all the way to Northern Europe and was not stopping there. In the 15th-16th Century, smallpox was spread through Portuguese traders into Africa. European colonization and the African slave trade spread Variola …show more content…
One in Atlanta, Georgia, and the other in Russia. Recently, there has been a debate on whether they should keep the samples to research them for more possible ways to cure smallpox if it ever comes back. The side that says that the samples should be destroyed thinks that they might fall into the wrong hands and could be used in bioterrorism. In the words of the student, Peter Vessey, “I think the samples should be kept in one secure location, and researched in case they were used for evil”. Peter thinks that scientists and governments should agree on one safe place for the samples and secure them with whatever they can. Peter says, “I do not think smallpox will come back naturally any time soon, but they should keep the samples so people can research cures for other diseases of the same
Smallpox was a highly infectious virus that spread easily through contact with infected people or objects contaminated with the disease. The vrius was deadly and killed thirty percent of people who caught it. The disease was known as a “brick-shaped virus,” which originated from the variola virus. The disease spread when an infected person sneezed or coughed. The droplets from their nose or mouth spread and would then infect another person. The virus could also spread through contaminated objects, such as clothing, or bedding. Most commonly, smallpox entered the body through the nose or the throat. The disease then spread to the lungs, where it grew and traveled to the lymphatic system. The first symptoms included vomiting, head and body aches,
Smallpox was a disease that was brought by the Europeans to America's. The Europeans and the Afro Eurasian countries were already exposed to many diseases and build immunities over the years. The Americans, however, were isolated from the rest of the world so they never build this immunity. So we the European crossed the ocean and landed in the Americas, intentional or not, they were able to pass on the disease to natives just by touch. The natives were left vulnerable and died off in large numbers. According to pbs.org smallpox killed around an estimated 90% of Native Americans. The death of some many natives left the tribe unprotected, disorganized and without a leader. The Europeans, on the other, had thought that this event was the divine power of God and that it was his way of showing them that he was on their side. The decrease of native might have given the European an upper hand in conquering their land but now there was nobody to work the land for free. The next best thing of them was African slavery. In summary, smallpox killed many native American empires like the Inca and the Aztec and left their people without a leader and protection and at the mercy of European conquistadors. It also was a large contributor to African
Smallpox was once one of the most severe infectious diseases that was endemic throughout the world for most of the recorded history. It is caused by variola virus (a DNA virus and a member of the Poxviridae family), and characterized by three phases: incubation, prodrome and rash. This disease killed and disfigured innumerable millions of people globally.
Smallpox is a contagious deadly disease that can easily be transferred from one person to another either by face-to-face contact or direct contact with bodily fluids such as sweat and saliva from someone who’s infected such as sneezing, coughing, or skin touching. They can also spread from being in contact with contaminated objects as well. Those who are infected usually doesn’t know they are infected until 7-17 days later when they start developing flu like symptoms such as a high fever beyond 101 Fahrenheit, fatigue, headache, and backache. The only way for doctors to diagnose this disease is by checking its main and most common feature. The appearance of smallpox are pus-filled blisters that forms on the skin during illness and the number of those blisters increases over time as shown in the picture below, and eventually they becomes scabs. The person will continuously remain infectious and contagious until the last remaining scab separates from the body.
Smallpox, an acute contagious disease, was one of the world's most devastating diseases known to humanity. Variola major and Variola minor are two recognized forms of smallpox. Both of them are double-stranded DNA viruses of the orthopoxvirus family. Compared to Variola minor, Variola major is more virulent with 30% of mortality rate and it has historically been more prevalent. Variola minor is considered rather mild with lower mortality rates. The pustular rashes on the mummified body of Pharaoh Ramses V of Egypt was probably the first physical evidence of smallpox. Earliest incontrovertible description of the smallpox occurred in year 581, Bishop Gregory observed and described some characteristic symptoms of the smallpox. In the 9th century,
Smallpox is a highly contagious disease in which a person could have it for twelve to fourteen days before symptoms first appear. Common symptoms include high fever, fatigue, headaches, exhaustion, and back and abdominal pain that can lead to vomiting. Soon after these first signs a rash will begin to appear starting on the face, then moving to the limbs, and finally the torso. The rash consists of many red spots. They turn into blisters and then later scab leaving scars. However, most flat hemorrhagic smallpox victims don’t survive to see the scars left behind. The immune system of a person with hemorrhagic smallpox is severely weakened. This allows the virus to grow faster in the spleen and bone marrow causing flawed blood clotting and usually kills the victim by the fifth or sixth day of the rash. This deadly virus can be transmitted through air, saliva, and the sores on a victim.
Smallpox comes from variola major virus. It is transmitted through inhalation by droplet infection (contact with contagious body fluids). Individuals can also become infected through direct contact with contaminated clothing or bedding. There are two types of smallpox. The Variola virus; major and minor. The more deadly form of the virus, Variola major, generally killed up to twenty five percent of the people infected and accounted for over ninety percent of all cases (Sherman, 2007). Populations that had never been exposed to the virus would however have fatality rates that would exceed fifty percent. The Variola minor pathogen had a rate of death that was much lower. At two percent it was more common in Europe in the17th century before the deadlier pathogen of the virus was reintroduced. It then became a common and
Imagine a quick spreading rash throughout the entire body, leaving not a single space behind; every opening and crevice in your body, including your mouth and eyes covered in painful bumps accompanied by high fever and severe body aches. Flat red spots transforming into fluid-filled lesions and soon oozing out yellow pus, evidently emitting a pungent odor to anyone who dared get close. The live virus present in the darkening crusty scabs that would soon fall off only to leave behind a deep pitted scarred filled complexion on anyone who was fortunate enough to survive. These scars would be forever remembered as the hallmark for the smallpox epidemic which tormented the world for over 3,000 years. (Riedel “Deadly Diseases”).
Smallpox has been a feared disease throughout history due to huge epidemics resulting in a large number of deaths (Carson- Dewitt 2006). The name Smallpox, or the Variola Virus, was common around 570 AD and introduced by Bishop Marious of Avenches. Variola derives from the Latin word various meaning stained or various or mark on the skin (Milton 2012). Milder patterns of the virus can be called cotton pox, white pox, and the Cuban itch (OMICS International 2006). The word smallpox was first used in 15th century England in order to tell the difference between syphilis called “great pocks”, and the variola virus (Riley 2006).
The main reason to why smallpox is so dangerous is because it is an airborne disease meaning that it can be spread by coughing and sneezing and therefore can be spread quickly. The transmission of smallpox can also occur due to direct contact with any bodily fluids including blood as well as sharing or touching contaminated surfaces.
Smallpox is caused by the variola virus that emerged in human populations thousands of years ago. Smallpox is a specific, infectious, and highly contagious febrile disease known only to be transmitted by humans. It is caused by a virus from air currents which are eventually passed on from person to person. Smallpox varies from a mild form without skin manifestations to a highly fatal hemorrhagic form. Edward Jenner, an English physician, discovered a means of preventing smallpox through vaccination. Gradually mass vaccination programs were introduced in many parts of the world. Smallpox was the first disease conquered by human beings and was eradicated by vaccination. The last known cases of naturally
Smallpox was one of the most deadliest diseases of mankind. Smallpox broke out in india and egypt around 3000 years ago BCE. Not only was smallpox a devastating disease, it altered the face of mankind and civilization. Multiple attempts to cure and get rid of smallpox occurred, yet it took about two centuries to actually get rid of this deadly disease. Signs and Symptoms of smallpox was the blistering and pimples of the
Smallpox is an acute contagious disease that is caused by the variola virus – which is a member of the Genus Orthopoxvirus family. It infects humans only as a result of its ability to escape the host immune system, and avoid any further activation (Koplow 2003). The virus is a two-stranded DNA virus. There exist two forms of the variola virus namely the variola major and variola minor. Variola major is the one that is lethal, while variola minor is not lethal but a mere strain. The most common strain is the variola major, which produces the more severe symptoms and with a higher fatality rate of 20% to 40%, within a week of infection (Koplow 2003).
The causes of the smallpox is when people sneeze or cough. Then, sometimes it can spread by airborne. It can directly move from person to person. Then, it can indirectly from an infected person. Then, it can affect pregnant women and usually you have scars and sometime it may cause blindness. Smallpox is always fatal and most people get smallpox survive. Then,
Smallpox is an acute, febrile, contagious disease caused by the variola virus, which is a member of the family Poxviridae. Until the 1970s, smallpox had been a pandemic disease for more than 3000 years, endemic in tropical and developing areas and occasionally epidemic around the world.