What is smallpox? 

Smallpox is a serious illness caused by the variola virus and spread through human contact.  Transmission usually occurs through direct and prolonged contact with the bodily fluids or personal items of someone who has a rash.

For centuries, smallpox killed about 30% of those infected.  Fortunately, the last case in the United States was reported to have been in 1949.  Worldwide vaccination efforts helped to stamp out the disease, and the last known naturally occurring case occurred in Somalia in 1977. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980.

After the virus disappeared, the World Health Organization kept stocks of the smallpox virus at laboratories in Moscow, Russia, and at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1990s, allegations were published describing the production of large quantities of smallpox virus by the former Soviet Union. Stores of the virus may have been scattered after the breakup of the USSR, and these provisions are feared to be a source for bioterrorist attacks.

What are the symptoms of smallpox?

After being exposure to the smallpox virus comes an incubation period of one to two weeks.  During this time, there is no sign of the disease, and the person infected is not contagious.  The first symptoms to appear are a fever, body and/or headaches, and, occasionally, vomiting.  Next, a rash on the tongue appears, and the sores break open, spreading large amounts of the virus into the mouth and throat. During this time, the individual is most contagious. Next, a rash appears on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body working its way from top to bottom.  The rash usually spreads throughout the body within 24 hours.  After about three days, the rash becomes raised bumps, and by the fourth day the bumps fill with a thick liquid. Eventually the bumps dry into scabs, which disappear after about a week. A person is contagious until the last scab falls off. 

How is smallpox treated?

There is no treatment for smallpox, but research is being conducted to learn of new possible antiviral treatments in case of future outbreaks.  There is a smallpox vaccine, but the only individuals vaccinated for the illness are some U.S. healthcare workers and individuals living in or visiting underdeveloped countries. 

Studies show that vaccination before exposure to smallpox will keep people from developing the virus. If a person is exposed the smallpox and is vaccinated within three days, the virus is less likely to occur, and, if he or she does get sick, symptoms will be less severe. Vaccination will not help individuals who already have a rash.

How can I protect myself from smallpox?

The smallpox vaccine is unavailable to the general public, given that when the smallpox vaccine was offered, it was reported to cause serious reactions in some people.  The best way to avoid smallpox now is to stay informed.  Watch or listen to the news.  If anything changes or if there is any news on the vaccine, public health officials will make announcements. The CDC has declared that, should there be a smallpox outbreak in the U.S., there is enough vaccine stored to protect every person in the U.S.

For more information about smallpox, contact your physician.  To read more about smallpox, check out the following websites:

MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/smallpox.html

WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/61/67294.htm

Center for Disease Control
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/