Smallpox

Na **Smallpox** be an infectious disease wey Variola virus cause (dem often call Smallpox virus), wich dey belong to de genus *Orthopoxvirus*. Na dem diagnose de last naturally occurring case insyd October 1977, wey na de World Health Organization (WHO) certify de global eradication of de disease insyd 1980, wey dey make smallpox de human disease per wey dem eradicate to date.

Na de initial symptoms of de disease include fever den vomiting. Na dis be followed by formation of ulcers insyd de mouth den a skin rash. Over a number of days, na de skin rash turn into de characteristic fluid-filled blisters plus a dent insyd de center. De bumps then scab over den fall off, wey dey leave scars. Na de disease be transmitted from one person to anoda primarily thru prolonged face-to-face contact plus an infected person anaa rarely via contaminated objects. Na dem achieve prevention mainly thru de smallpox vaccine. Once de disease develop, na certain antiviral medications fi potentially help, buh na such medications no cam be available til after na dem eradicate de disease. Na de risk of death be about 30%, plus higher rates among babies. Often, na those wey survive get extensive scarring of dema skin, wey na sam be blind.

Na de earliest evidence of de disease dey date to around 1500 BCE insyd Egyptian mummies. Na de disease historically occur in outbreaks. Na e be one of chaw diseases wey de Columbian exchange introduce to de New World, wey dey result in large swathes of Native Americans die. Insyd 18th-century Europe, na dem estimate say na 400,000 people die from de disease per year, den dat na one-third of all cases of blindness be secof smallpox. Na dem estimate smallpox kill up to 300&nbsp;million people insyd de 20th century den around 500&nbsp;million people insyd de last 100 years of ein existence. Na earlier deaths include six European monarchs, wey dey include Louis XV of France insyd 1774. As recently as 1967, na 15&nbsp;million cases occur a year. Na de final known fatal case occur insyd 1978 insyd a laboratory insyd de United Kingdom.

Na inoculation for smallpox appear e start insyd China around de 1500s. Na Europe adopt dis practice from Asia insyd de first half of de 18th century. Insyd 1796, na Edward Jenner introduce de modern smallpox vaccine. Insyd 1967, na de WHO intensify efforts to eliminate de disease. Smallpox be one of two infectious diseases wey be eradicated, de oda be rinderpest (a disease of even-toed ungulates) insyd 2011. Na dem first use de term "smallpox" insyd England insyd de 16th century to distinguish de disease from syphilis, wich na then dem know as de "great pox". Oda historical names for de disease dey include pox, speckled monster, den red plague.

De United States den Russia retain samples of variola virus insyd laboratories, wich na spark debates over safety.

## References


## External links

* Smallpox Biosafety: A Website About Destruction of Smallpox Virus Stocks
* Detailed CIDRAP Smallpox overview 
* Agent Fact Sheet: Smallpox, Center for Biosecurity
* Smallpox Images and Diagnosis Synopsis 
* Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Poxviridae
* Episode 1 (of 4): Vaccines of the BBC Four and PBS show: Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer (2021)