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What is smallpox?
Smallpox is a highly contagious, often lethal, virus that can be passed from person to person by inhalation. Severe forms of smallpox lead to death in three or four days from arrested beathing or shock. Smallpox kills between a third and half of unvaccinated victims. Scarring or blindness affects 60 to 90 percent of those infected.
What are the symptoms of smallpox infection?
The virus incubates from five to ten days. This is followed by a sudden high fever, vomiting, headache, stiffness and severe backache. Within a week, small spots appear on the face and arms. The person is infectious from 7 to 10 days following the onset of the rash. The rash spreads and the spots become painful blisters which form scabs that remain for weeks. Scarring results when the scabs eventually fall off.
How do you test for smallpox?
How do you treat smallpox?
How can we protect ourselves?
How serious is smallpox as bioterrorism?
Diagnosis in the early stages is difficult. Identification becomes clear only when the blisters develop and other symptoms manifest themselves.
There is no treatment for the disease. Only the symptoms can be treated. Prevention by vaccination is the most reliable course. Research is presently being conducted to find an anti-viral drug for already infected persons.
Vaccination within 2-3 days of exposure can modify or prevent the disease. The vaccine is given by pricking the skin 15 times with a two-pronged needle. Vaccine should not be given to anyone with a suppressed immune system or who is pregnant or suffering from eczema. Vaccination has some risk with 1 death per million due to the vaccine itself. America's existing supply of vaccine is sufficient for over 100 million people due to lost stock found at a pharmaceutical lab which added to the existing stock on hand. Dilution of the stock can then provide enough vaccine for the entire U.S. population.
Routine vaccination ended in 1972. Over half the population has never been vaccinated. Vaccination is considered effective for 10 years. The only known stock of smallpox exists in the U.S. and Russia. As many as 10 countries may possess secret stocks of the virus. It can be delivered as an infectious aerosol. It is a serious threat to public health.