Smallpox is believed to have originated in Africa and first appeared in Egypt in 1350 BC. It was one of the most devastating diseases in history, killing around 30% of those infected. There are four main types that differ in symptoms and mortality rates. The disease was eliminated through a global vaccination program and the last known case was in Somalia in 1977. While the virus samples exist in two locations, there is concern it could be used as a biological weapon.

1. By: Myles Salazar, Stephanie Nieto, Maria Retana

2. The Origin of Smallpox It is uncertain. Believed to have begun in Africa and spread to India and China. 1 st recorded outbreak of smallpox was during the Egyptian Hittite War (1350 BC). Many epidemics occurred throughout the world for thousands of years.

3. Smallpox (also called variola) is the only disease that has completely wiped out throughout the world. There are four types of variola: classic, hemorrhagic, malignant and modified. They differ by certain types of bleeding sores in mucous tissue. Variola is a member of the orthopoxvirus genus, which also includes viruses such as cowpox and monkeypox. Poxviruses are the largest viruses visible under a microscope. They are larger than some bacteria some bacteria. Poxviruses are the only viruses that don’t need a cell’s nucleus to duplicate inside the cell.

4. 4 Types Classic smallpox was considered the most communicable disease; about 30% of unvaccinated people who came in contact with the virus were infected. The hermorrhagic variety of variola had a much higher death rate (95%) than classic smallpox and lead to death more quickly. The malignant or flat forms of smallpox affected 6% of the population and evolved slower than the classic type of smallpox but with a death rate of almost 100%. The modified variety of variola essentially affected people who were vaccinated.

5. The virus begins growing in the blood steam from 72-96 hours after infected. The initial symptoms that the person has are fever, body aches, headache, chills and vomiting. After the initial symptoms the virus creates a rash that starts as macules (flat, red lesions) on the skin. Then vesicles (raised blisters) form and lastly pustules (pus filled blisters) appear. Just after the rash appears, the virus is highly contagious as it moves into the mucous membrane.

6. Variolation People begin to make assumptions that survivors of the disease were immune the rest of their lives. Variolation was the 1 st attempt at cure. Consisted of grinding up scabs into powder taken from an infected person and blowing in the nostrils of a non immune patient. 2%-3% died of smallpox after variolation.

7. The disease survived through continual person to person transmission. The body sheds the cells and virus particles are release by coughing and sneezing (through saliva) into the environment. The virus is acquired by inhalation. Virus particles could remain on items such as clothing, bedding and surfaces for a week. An infected person can be infectious for up to 3 weeks until the scabs fall off (2-4 weeks) It was the most contagious during the first week of the infection.

8. Treatment No proven treatment. Only thing done was to give them Intravenous Fluids and medicine to control fever and pain. Antibiotics, given to prevent possible bacterial infections. There have always been treatments researched against smallpox.

9. Comes from latin root “vaca” meaning cow. The fluid taken from a cowpox pustule was taken from the milk maids hands to create a vaccine against smallpox. Was given to millions of Americans over many decades. There were no long term side effects were found that might have been caused by vaccintation.

10. How Common Is It? The disease has been officially eradicated. It used to be spread worldwide and caused massive epidemics leading to death. The last known epidemic was in Somalia in 1977, after words the world was declared free of the disease by the World Health Assembly (1980).

11. The last case in USA was in 1949. People began to fear that the locked up smallpox virus in the two labs (one in the USA, the other in Russia) would reach terrorist s and that they would use it as a biological weapon. President Bush announced a plan to protect Americans by an outbreak of vaccinations. Bush has worked with state and local governments to develop national stockpile of the vaccine.

12. Citations http://dermatology.about.com/cs/smallpox/a/smallpoxhx.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5100 http://www.emedicinehealth.com/smallpox/article_em.htm http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/images/PHIL_3_lores.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/smallpox-images/smallpox3.htm&h=460&w=700&sz=76&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=Hc1uBKgaACfa9M:&tbnh=92&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmallpox%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/12/13/smallpox.ny/ http://www.bact.wisc.edu/themicrobialworld/variola.jpg