1. Variola virus is the causative agent for smallpox. It causes smallpox.
2. Smallpox affects the immune and circulatory systems.
3. The history of smallpox extends into pre-history; it is known that the disease is most likely to
begin 10,000 B.C. It is seen that the 3000 years ago mummies had this disease.The regions
where smallpox was non-native is America and Australia. “During the 18th century the disease
killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans each year, including five reigning monarchs, and was
responsible for a third of all blindness. Between 20 and 60% of all those infected—and over
80% of infected children—died from the disease.”
4. Smallpox is contagious. That means the virus can spread to others. It spreads through tiny
drops of an infected person's saliva when the person coughs, talks, or sneezes. Smallpox
usually passes from person to person during close, face-to-face contact.
5. Once inside the body body, the virus multiplies and spreads throughout the bloodstream,
invading the various tissues of the body. It destroys the cells of the skin, and these dying cells
form blisters. The eyes and internal organs such as the liver and spleen are also affected by the
virus.
6. General signs of the disease: fever, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle aches
7. There's no treatment or cure for smallpox. A vaccine can prevent it. But the vaccine's side
effect risk is too high to justify routine vaccination for people at low risk of exposure to the virus.
8. To lower your risk of getting sick if terrorists release smallpox virus on purpose:
- Stay informed. Listen to the news to learn how the emergency is affecting your community and
what actions SFDPH recommends people take.
- If you were exposed to a suspicious substance or if you were in an area thought to contain
smallpox virus, it may help to wash your skin and hair thoroughly with soap and water. It may
also help to change and wash your clothing, or if you cannot wash your clothes immediately, to
put them in a plastic bag to keep them separate from your other things.
- Stay away from, and keep your children away from, anyone who might have smallpox.
- Avoid being in enclosed areas with others who may be sick, such as buses and trains.
- Do not touch the skin area where someone had a smallpox vaccine placed.
- Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
"What Is Smallpox?" KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.
"Smallpox." Smallpox - Catch, Body, Last, Viral, Contagious, Causes. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb.
2017.
Mayo Clinic Staff Print. "Infectious Diseases." Symptoms and Causes - Infectious Diseases Mayo Clinic. N.p., 05 Jan. 2016. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.
"Smallpox." Smallpox - Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, San Francisco
Department of Public Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.