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Smallpox |
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Smallpox is an acute, communicable disease caused by a virus known as the variola virus. The name "smallpox" comes from the Latin word for "spotted",
which refers to the raised bumps that appear on the face and body of an infected
person. Two forms of the disease, variola major and variola minor, have typical
mortality rates of 30% and 1%, respectively. The symptoms of smallpox begin with
high fever, chills, head and body aches, and sometimes vomiting. A rash then
emerges on the tongue and mouth and spreads to the skin, forming on the arms and
legs and then to the hands and feet. The rash progresses to raised bumps and
pus-filled blisters that crust, scab, and fall off after about three weeks,
leaving a pitted scar. There is no proven treatment for smallpox. However,
eradication efforts have been successful. The last natural case of smallpox
occurred in Somalia in 1977. The following references aid in recognizing disease
characteristics and hazards associated with smallpox.
- Emergency Preparedness & Response: Smallpox.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Contains extensive
smallpox information, including fact sheets; overviews; FAQs; diagnosis and
evaluation; infection control, laboratory testing; surveillance and
investigation; selected publications; and education and training materials.
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Public Health Image Library (PHIL). Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Offers several images related to smallpox that include
descriptions.
- Smallpox. World Health Organization (WHO) Health Topics. Provides
information on smallpox, including a fact sheet, disease outbreak information,
publications, and related links.
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Current Description of Smallpox. The University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA), School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology. Provides basic
information on smallpox, including identification, infectious agent, global
occurrence, reservoir, mode of transmission, incubation period,
communicability, susceptibility and resistance, methods of control, and more.
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