Smallpox (Print Version)

Smallpox is a disease caused by the Variola major virus. Some experts say that over the centuries it has killed more people than all other infectious diseases combined. Worldwide immunization stopped the spread of smallpox three decades ago. The last case was reported in 1977. Two research labs still house small amounts of the virus. Experts fear bioterrorists could use the virus to spread disease.

Smallpox spreads very easily from person to person. Symptoms are flu-like and include high fever, fatigue and headache and backache, followed by a rash with flat red sores.

The U.S. stopped routine smallpox vaccinations in 1972. Military and other high-risk groups continue to get the vaccine. The U.S. has increased its supply of the vaccine in recent years. The vaccine makes some people sick, so doctors save it for those at highest risk of disease.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

Smallpox(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/smallpox/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/smallpoxspanish/htm/index.htm
Smallpox(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/smallpox/
What You Should Know about a Smallpox Outbreak(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/basics/outbreak.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/basics/espanol/outbreak.asp

Overviews

Smallpox(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/smallpox/DS00424/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Smallpox Disease Overview(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/disease-facts.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/espanol/generalidades.asp

Prevention/Screening

FDA Approves Second-Generation Smallpox Vaccine(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01693.html
List of Medications Contraindicating Receipt of Smallpox Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/immuno_suppress_meds.asp
Live Virus Smallpox Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/live-virus.asp
Side Effects of Smallpox Vaccination(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/reactions-vacc-public.asp
Smallpox Vaccine and Heart Problems: Information for People Who Have Recently Received the Smallpox Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/cardiacrecentvaccinees.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/espanol/corazonvacunareciente.asp
Smallpox Vaccine Overview(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/facts.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/espanol/generalidades.asp
Smallpox Vaccine: What You Should Know(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/vaccines/740.printerview.html
What to Do After You’ve Gotten the Smallpox Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/site-care-pub.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/espanol/cuidado-del-sitio.asp

Related Issues

Frequently Asked Questions about Smallpox(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/disease/faq.asp
Smallpox Vaccine and Atopic Dermatitis/Eczema(National Eczema Association for Science and Education) - http://www.nationaleczema.org/smallpox/faq.html
Smallpox Vaccine and Cancer(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_2x_Smallpox_Vaccine_and_Cancer.asp
What We Learn about Smallpox from Movies - Fact or Fiction(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/disease/movies.asp

Pictures & Photographs

Smallpox (Variola)(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/atlas/smallpoxVariola.htm
Smallpox Disease Images(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/Smallpox/SmallpoxImages.asp
Vaccine Reaction Images(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/Smallpox/VaccineImages.asp

Tutorials

Smallpox(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/smallpox/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/smallpoxspanish/htm/index.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Smallpox(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Smallpox%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Evaluation of preterm births and birth defects in liveborn infants... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18496830&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: A relationship between US healthcare worker smallpox vaccination rates in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18488832&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: An extremely diverse CD4 response to vaccinia virus in humans... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18480455&tool=MedlinePlus
Smallpox -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(smallpox[majr]+OR+smallpox+vaccine[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+letter[pt]+AND+english[la]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Organizations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/en/

Law and Policy

Smallpox Vaccine Injury Compensation Program(Health Resources and Services Administration) - http://www.hrsa.gov/smallpoxinjury/
What CDC Is Doing to Protect the Public From Smallpox(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/prep/cdc-prep.asp

Children

What Is Smallpox?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/infection/smallpox.html

Teenagers

Smallpox(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/skin_rashes/smallpox.html

Women

Smallpox Vaccination Information for Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/preg-factsheet.asp

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Biodefense and Bioterrorism - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/biodefenseandbioterrorism.html
Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Smallpox is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/

Smallpox - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/smallpox.html