Introduction
Smallpox is a vicious disease that once swept the globe plaguing and causing frenzy among many, even the most powerful of civilizations. Smallpox, also known as the variola virus, leaves its victims with hundreds of open sores that fill with pus and later scab over, disfiguring them and many times causing death. Coupled with a high fever, smallpox is extremely contagious as it can spread through contact with the infected individual’s saliva, coughs, sneezes or even close contact with the individual while they are talking. It became the most infectious disease in history and happens to be the only modern disease that has been completely eradicated by the advent of vaccinations in the United States. This vicious disease that once …show more content…
Many rulers of Ancient Egypt such as Ramses V and other mummies that have been discovered dating from 1570-1085 BCE, have distinct scars on their faces and appendages that are typical of smallpox (Nelson, 2014). Smallpox has been recorded as present and severely impacting populations during the Crusades, the discovery of the West Indies and the colonization of the Americas (Riedel, 2005). Smallpox was otherwise unknown in the Americas until Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors arrived, which contributed to Cortez being victorious in battle in 1520 due to Smallpox eradicating 25% of the Aztec population. A notable Spanish priest recorded that mortality rates in the Americas at the time were 60-90% with 1000 people a day dying of the disease, exhibiting the perilous nature of the disease. (Nelson, …show more content…
Variola major kills an average of 20-40% of individuals who are unvaccinated and can lead to blindness. Variola minor is seen in very small amounts of the documented smallpox cases and is far less dangerous due to it rarely causing death. Although the disease is commonly transmitted through saliva and other bodily fluids, one can be infected by handling an infected individual’s clothing as well. Smallpox lasts eight to seventeen days with individuals becoming sick around the tenth to twelfth day. Smallpox is marked by fever, vomiting, headaches and backaches with the trademark rash appearing two to four days after the onset of the infection. The rash appears on the face first and travels to the arms and legs progressing into red papules and larger blisters known as pustular vesicles. These pustular vesicles are primarily focused upon the individual’s face and arms. Due to similarities of the onset of a rash as the first symptom, smallpox is sometimes mistaken a chickenpox. Death usually occurs within the first or second week of the onset of the disease and is seen in fatal cases. Although there is no treatment that is effective in the treatment of smallpox, being vaccinated against the disease has been proven to leave the individual immune to smallpox (Nelson, 2014) (Riedel,
Smallpox is a vicious disease that once swept the globe plaguing and causing frenzy among many, even the most powerful of civilizations. Smallpox, also known as the variola virus, leaves its victims with hundreds of open sores that fill with pus and later scab over, disfiguring them and many times causing death. Coupled with a high fever, smallpox is extremely contagious as it can spread through contact with the infected individual’s saliva, coughs, sneezes or even close contact with the individual while they are talking. It became the most infectious disease in history and happens to be the only modern disease that has been completely eradicated by the advent of vaccinations in the United States. This vicious disease that once …show more content…
Many rulers of Ancient Egypt such as Ramses V and other mummies that have been discovered dating from 1570-1085 BCE, have distinct scars on their faces and appendages that are typical of smallpox (Nelson, 2014). Smallpox has been recorded as present and severely impacting populations during the Crusades, the discovery of the West Indies and the colonization of the Americas (Riedel, 2005). Smallpox was otherwise unknown in the Americas until Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors arrived, which contributed to Cortez being victorious in battle in 1520 due to Smallpox eradicating 25% of the Aztec population. A notable Spanish priest recorded that mortality rates in the Americas at the time were 60-90% with 1000 people a day dying of the disease, exhibiting the perilous nature of the disease. (Nelson, …show more content…
Variola major kills an average of 20-40% of individuals who are unvaccinated and can lead to blindness. Variola minor is seen in very small amounts of the documented smallpox cases and is far less dangerous due to it rarely causing death. Although the disease is commonly transmitted through saliva and other bodily fluids, one can be infected by handling an infected individual’s clothing as well. Smallpox lasts eight to seventeen days with individuals becoming sick around the tenth to twelfth day. Smallpox is marked by fever, vomiting, headaches and backaches with the trademark rash appearing two to four days after the onset of the infection. The rash appears on the face first and travels to the arms and legs progressing into red papules and larger blisters known as pustular vesicles. These pustular vesicles are primarily focused upon the individual’s face and arms. Due to similarities of the onset of a rash as the first symptom, smallpox is sometimes mistaken a chickenpox. Death usually occurs within the first or second week of the onset of the disease and is seen in fatal cases. Although there is no treatment that is effective in the treatment of smallpox, being vaccinated against the disease has been proven to leave the individual immune to smallpox (Nelson, 2014) (Riedel,