|
|
|
Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus. It gets its name from the Latin word for "spotted," referring to the raised, pustular bumps that break out over the face and body of those affected. Historically the virus killed around 30 percent of people who caught it. Those who survived were often left blind, sterile, and with deep pitted scars, or pockmarks, on the skin. |
|
Spread through direct contact with infected people or body fluids or with contaminated objects such as bedding, the disease had two main types. Variola major was the most common form and the severest and most lethal. Variola minor produced a milder disease, which was fatal in less than one percent of cases. Two other, rarer forms also existed: hemorrhagic and malignant. Both invariably resulted in death. In the 20th century, it killed some 300 million people globally. The human fight against smallpox dates back some 2,000 years. In Asia, a technique known as variolation involved deliberately infecting a person by blowing dried smallpox scabs up their nose. Those who received this treatment contracted a mild form of the disease, developing a lifelong immunity. A key breakthrough came in 1796 when an experiment by English doctor Edward Jenner showed that inoculation using closely related cowpox could protect against smallpox. Jenner's discovery paved the way for later vaccination programs—especially crucial since there is no effective treatment for smallpox.
(Source: National Geography/ 3D4Medical.com) |
|
|
|
