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Essay on Cause and Effects of Smallpox

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Cause and Effects of Smallpox

Smallpox is caused by the variola virus that emerged in human populations thousands of years ago. Smallpox is a specific, infectious, and highly contagious febrile disease known only to be transmitted by humans. It is caused by a virus from air currents which are eventually passed on from person to person. Smallpox varies from a mild form without skin manifestations to a highly fatal hemorrhagic form. Edward Jenner, an English physician, discovered a means of preventing smallpox through vaccination. Gradually mass vaccination programs were introduced in many parts of the world. Smallpox was the first disease conquered by human beings and was eradicated by vaccination. The last known cases of naturally …show more content…

Humans are the natural hosts of smallpox and it is not known to be transmitted by insects or animals. (WHO, 2005)
Cause and Effects of Smallpox…2
Exposure to the virus is followed by an incubation period which people may not feel any sign of symptoms. The incubation period can range between 7 to 17 days. People are not contagious during this time period. After the incubation period, high fever, chills, severe headache and backache, and general malaise begin to develop. Your body temperature can reach up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. After 2 to 4 days, a rash emerges first as small red spots on the tongue and in the mouth. The spots develop into sores which spread large amounts of the virus into the mouth and throat. The person becomes most contagious during this phase. Soon after, the smallpox rash appears on exposed portions of the body: the face, forearms, wrists, palms, lower legs, feet, and soles. Usually the rash spreads to all parts of the body within 24 hours.
As the rash appears, the fever usually falls and the person may start to feel better. The rash becomes raised bumps on the third day of the rash. The bumps fill with a thick, opaque fluid and often have a depression in the center that looks like a bellybutton. (CDC, 2004). This is a major distinguishing characteristic of smallpox that occurs on the fourth day. Until scabs form over the bumps, fever often will rise

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