Variola Virus Research Paper

Edward Jenner invented a vaccine by using a naturally-acquired and mild cowpox to prevent smallpox. More than one thousand people were vaccinated in England alone within three years. The print media played an important role in spreading the word about these vaccinations and smallpox was finally eradicated in 1980 (Bouldin, 2010).

Smallpox is a viral infection caused by Variola major. This infection is currently one of the most dreaded diseases, and is believed to be more dangerous than the enemy’s sword. The exposure is usually an infection of the respiratory tract. After exposure, early symptoms are: headaches, back aches, fever, vomiting, discomfort, and feeling out of sorts. These symptoms go away usually in two days, and the patient feels better. Then about two days later, the patient has a flustered face, and lesions on the mouth, throat, and nasal membranes. At 5 days past exposure, red rashes and bumps appear on the skin, bleeding through skin, and mucous membranes. If the patients bleeds through their eyes, gums, or nose, the patient will not live much longer, but that is not usually the case. The bumps may touch each other or they may be separate from each other. If the bumps do not touch, the patients has a good chance of surviving. But if the bumps do touch, the patient has a forty percent chance of surviving. Dehydration is common in patients because it may be painful or difficult to drink. Around day ten, the bumps will become soft, and blisters will form. The fluid in the bumps is absorbed because of dehydration. A smell often comes from cracked bumps, and a second bacterial infection may occur due to the openings in the body. Two weeks after initial symptoms, the bumps and blisters are replaced by scabs. One week later the fever disappears, the patient returns to a normal life, and the

become known as pustules. The rash becomes fully developed between 12 and 14 days after the symptoms of the disease appear. As the disease follows its course, symptoms become more and more severe and uncomfortable for the patient. Red spots on the patient begin to turn black, while others turn white, the individual experiences strong delirium, hemorrhages of blood at the anus, mouth, and nose, raw flesh from the stripping of the skin, and fistulous ulcers in the ligaments, body, limbs, and joints. Smallpox is also associated with the unbelievable amount of swelling and protuberance in the throat and eyes, which obstruct vision as well as the ability to swallow and perform similar functions. The virus also causes the rotting of the ligaments and bones.

Smallpox, also know as variola virus, is extremely contagious and lethal. In modern day it has been eradicated and we no longer vaccinate the human population. Symptoms begin 12-14 days after infection; after 1-2 days spots turn into blisters and then pustules and after 8-9 days these pustules become crusted. If the person survives, large disfiguring scars remain (Merck, 2003).

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.

There are a couple symptoms to smallpox, mostly affecting your skin. The first couple of days, it will begin with normal symptoms of a fever. Eventually, there will be body aches, headaches, and you will begin to feel weaker. Small, round blisters appear all around the body. Within a week, the pox becomes filled with pus and gets bigger. Then eventually, the blisters crust and stomach pains will most likely occur. Within the next couple of weeks, the blisters become scabs and they fall off, which result in scars on the skin. You could get scars, blindness and your hands and feet could get deformed. The scars stay on your body.

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

Requires a medical diagnosis In addition to flu-like symptoms, people experience a rash that appeared first on the face, hands and forearms. People may experience: pain Skin: rashes, small bump, blister, scab, or scar Whole body: fever, malaise, or chills Also common: headache or vomiting After exposure to the smallpox virus, it usually takes 7-17 days until illness begins. Smallpox generally begins with fever, headaches, body aches, and weakness on day 1. Then: Day 2-3: small, round pox (blisters) appear and spread on the face, arms, legs, and inside the mouth Day 7: the pox turn into bigger blisters and fill with pus Day 12: the blisters crust over; stomach pain and confusion can also occur Week 3-4: the blisters turn into scabs and fall

This disease has one of the largest virus and most complex virus particles, also known as virions, found in nature. Smallpox is caused by the Variola virus. It’s called Variola which comes from the Latin word Varius, meaning spotted (Preston 237). Smallpox is part of the genus, Orthopoxvirus. Orthopoxviruses are viruses that usually use vertebrates and mammals as hosts. Viruses in this group include Buffalopox, Camelpox, Monkeypox, Mousepox, Rabbitpox and Raccoonpox. These diseases are usually named after their primary host, the only exceptions being Cowpox and Monkeypox, which are typically carried by rodents. Despite Chickenpox’s name, Chickenpox is part of a completely different group and isn’t related (Tucker 5). Another form of Smallpox is Hemorrhagic Smallpox, also known as Blackpox. It’s very rare, but very deadly having an almost 100% mortality rate (Preston 44-50). These variants are all very unpleasant, but one stands out above all other, and has some terrible symptoms:

rate of about 30%. Variola minor is a much less common form with an estimated death rate of less than 1%” (Derm). Variola Major can be further split into 4 forms of smallpox that being. Ordinary which is the most frequent form seen around the world with over 90% of cases being diagnosed. Modified which is a milder type of smallpox however it is rarely fatal. “Flat-type smallpox which accounted for about 6% of cases in the pre-eradication era

Small pox is an infectious rash of little round blisters they could be found on the legs arms and face. Small pox is caused by a deadly virus known as the Variola virus. There has not been a small pox case in the U.S since 1949 but the last known case was in Somalia in 1977. Vaccinations have wiped out the virus but not all of it. Two facilities one in the U.S and one in Russia. You cant get a vaccination any were. The virus is spread not by animals but by other people by someone touching the infected area or breathing in the same air in a small place like a plane or a bus or if you touch something that someone else has

The earliest case of smallpox according to a journal published in the US National Library of Medicine titled, “Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination” was recorded as early as 1122 BC. (Riedel “Smallpox the Origin of a Disease”). Mankind’s triumph over this horrible disease was initiated by an English doctor named Edward Jenner. Through observations and experimentation, Jenner would create a procedure now known as vaccination. (Riedel “Edward Jenner”). During the next two centuries, vaccinations would be used worldwide to stop the spread of small pox. After the successful worldwide vaccination campaign led by the World Health Organization, small pox was eradicated worldwide in 1980. As a result of the eradication of smallpox according

The vaccine was discovered back in 1796 by the English physician and scientist Edward Jenner. Little did he know that he just made one of the most important discoveries in human existence. The vaccine consisted of cowpox pus that he later injected into to a little eight year old boy, James Phillips. After 2 week the boy had recovered from the cowpox and when exposed to smallpox, his body was not affected. The scientist was amazed and later on conducted an experiment which consisted of 12 people being inoculated with cowpox pus and later on exposed to the deadly disease of smallpox. Sir Edward Jenner concluded, “that the cow-pox protects the human constitution from the infection of smallpox”.This laid the foundation for modern vaccinology. The

There are several different kinds of communicable diseases in today’s society. Smallpox happens to be one. Smallpox is considered to be a contagious, and fatal infectious disease. Smallpox has been existence for over 200 years, and the first known outbreak strated in Eruope and traveled to India and parts of Asia. “The pox part of smallpox is derived from the Latin word for “spotted” and refers to the raised bumps that appear on the face and body of an infected person,” (CDC, 2016, para 1). Smallpox is caused by the Variola virus. There are two clinical forms of smallpox, Variola major and minor. The most common form of smallpox is Variola major which is the most severe. “The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1949. The last

According to my research, in 1796 Dr. Edward Jenner developed a vaccine for smallpox disease however during this time only cows were infected. This vaccine came from the cowpox virus. In 1809, the state of Massachusetts became the first to mandate the smallpox vaccinations then in 1879 a group of Anti-Vaccination of America was formed and their belief is that no one should be forced to vaccination. They believed that the vaccine was spreading the disease instead of preventing it. In 1986