Smallpox is arguably one of the most important epidemics that ever affected the world. Smallpox was disease that plagued populations all throughout history with its highly infectious nature and high mortality rates. It was a disease that razed populations for generations. But beyond its fatalistic nature, Smallpox was important in another arena as well; it was the only disease that was successfully eradicated through a collective global health initiative. The Smallpox disease itself mirrors that of three diseases—the Plague of 1665, Ebola, and the Spanish Influenza— examined in the course and the impact of its eradication raises pertinent questions about global health initiatives and the potential threat of biological terrorism. Since Smallpox
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Smallpox is a disease caused by the Variola virus, predominantly the Variola Major virus that is considered to be the more severe strain. The Virola Major virus results in four potential types of Smallpox: Ordinary, Modified, Flat and Hemorrhagic. Each type of Smallpox varies in it mortality rate, with flat and hemorrhagic being much more fatal than the other two types. Doctor Christopher Hogan, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University, finds that “Ordinary Smallpox had an overall mortality rate of 30%.”[1] However, he notes, “Comprehensive studies documenting almost 7000 cases of Variola found 200 patients had this form [flat or hemorrhagic] of the disease and 192 died.”[2] As evidenced, Smallpox is a highly virulent and contagious disease with a high mortality rate. In fact, it remained one of the most deadly diseases well into the 20th century. According to Alvin Powell, writer for the Harvard Gazette, “As recently as the 1960s, Smallpox killed as many as two million people a year.” [3] Smallpox evidently was a disease that afflicted many populations and was not limited to a time frame such as the 1665 Plague. It spanned many centuries and affected many different walks of life. It was an age blind, gender blind, and class blind killer. The historical significance …show more content…
The fact that Smallpox affected the poor more than the rich is evidenced through the fact that the vaccine that prevented Smallpox was created in 1776 by Edward Jenner and from there was safely improved through the addition of glycerol as a preservative.[7] The overall effectiveness of the vaccine should have been incentive enough to inoculate entire nations but without the advent of freeze-drying technology, the vaccines were not able to be transported long distances and thus had to be administered in research organization in large rural cities. Impoverished individuals who were incapable of traveling long distances were unable to get the life saving cures they needed which exemplifies how before the mass production of vaccinations, the poor were increasingly affected. This trend is also applicable to many of the other diseases we studied such as Ebola and the Plague. Reports indicate that one of the key factors that exacerbated the spread of Ebola in West Africa was the lack of healthcare infrastructure that was associated with the extreme poverty in the area. According to the World Health Organization, countries like Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, often considered to be the most impoverished nations, has health infrastructure that was left decimated
Smallpox is a disease caused by the Variola virus, predominantly the Variola Major virus that is considered to be the more severe strain. The Virola Major virus results in four potential types of Smallpox: Ordinary, Modified, Flat and Hemorrhagic. Each type of Smallpox varies in it mortality rate, with flat and hemorrhagic being much more fatal than the other two types. Doctor Christopher Hogan, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University, finds that “Ordinary Smallpox had an overall mortality rate of 30%.”[1] However, he notes, “Comprehensive studies documenting almost 7000 cases of Variola found 200 patients had this form [flat or hemorrhagic] of the disease and 192 died.”[2] As evidenced, Smallpox is a highly virulent and contagious disease with a high mortality rate. In fact, it remained one of the most deadly diseases well into the 20th century. According to Alvin Powell, writer for the Harvard Gazette, “As recently as the 1960s, Smallpox killed as many as two million people a year.” [3] Smallpox evidently was a disease that afflicted many populations and was not limited to a time frame such as the 1665 Plague. It spanned many centuries and affected many different walks of life. It was an age blind, gender blind, and class blind killer. The historical significance …show more content…
The fact that Smallpox affected the poor more than the rich is evidenced through the fact that the vaccine that prevented Smallpox was created in 1776 by Edward Jenner and from there was safely improved through the addition of glycerol as a preservative.[7] The overall effectiveness of the vaccine should have been incentive enough to inoculate entire nations but without the advent of freeze-drying technology, the vaccines were not able to be transported long distances and thus had to be administered in research organization in large rural cities. Impoverished individuals who were incapable of traveling long distances were unable to get the life saving cures they needed which exemplifies how before the mass production of vaccinations, the poor were increasingly affected. This trend is also applicable to many of the other diseases we studied such as Ebola and the Plague. Reports indicate that one of the key factors that exacerbated the spread of Ebola in West Africa was the lack of healthcare infrastructure that was associated with the extreme poverty in the area. According to the World Health Organization, countries like Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, often considered to be the most impoverished nations, has health infrastructure that was left decimated