Smallpox, also called bladder, is an infectious disease caused by the virus. Orthopoxvirusvariolae.
Along with the Black Death, tuberculosis and AIDS, smallpox is considered one of the deadliest diseases on the planet. It affects the immune system causing various deformities in the skin.
Photo of child with smallpox
The average mortality rate for those infected is around 30%. Currently, the United States and Russia have the smallpox virus in the laboratory.
Did you know?
The smallpox virus is one of the largest that affects humans, about 300 nanometers in diameter. Note that it only affects humans and is therefore its primary host.
Want to know more about the topic? Read the articles:
- Virus
- Immune system
- Black Plague
- Tuberculosis
- AIDS
Smallpox History
Smallpox is a very old disease that was detected thousands of years ago. Everything indicates that the virus already infected people before the Christian Era. However, the causes of the disease were unknown.
In 430 BC a., occurred an outbreak of the disease in Greece that got to kill about a third of the population.
In addition to it, it affected a large part of Roman civilization, and later reached the American continent. This was due to the great navigations in the 16th century.
At the time, the disease was brought by Europeans and decimated most of the pre-Columbian civilizations (Aztecs and Incas). In Brazil, the disease affected a large part of the indigenous population that lived here.
The creation of the vaccine against the disease was essential for population control. It was discovered by British physician Edward Jenner (1749-1823) in the 18th century.
Fortunately, with medical advances, smallpox was declared extinct by the World Health Organization in the early 1980s. The last case of smallpox was in Somalia, Africa, in October 1977.
Streaming
Smallpox is a very contagious disease transmitted by the secretions and saliva of an infected person. Pustules that form in the patient's body contain a fluid (similar to pus) that contains the virus.
Therefore, people with the disease must remain isolated during treatment and avoid sharing objects.
Symptoms
The incubation period for the virus is approximately two weeks. The main symptoms of smallpox are:
- High fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Body pain
- malaise
- Prostration
- pustules all over the body
- Itch
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for curing the disease. Therefore, the patient must avoid contact with others, remain at rest and take medication to relieve symptoms (fever, itching, pain).
Smallpox in Brazil
The first case of smallpox in Brazil occurred in 1563, on the island of Itaparica, Bahia. As it is very contagious, it ended up spreading throughout the rest of the country.
With the appearance of the vaccine in the beginning of the 19th century, it was brought to the country. However, the number of cases was still large.
THE Vaccine Revolt (1904) represented a popular rebellion that took place in Rio de Janeiro.
Physician Osvaldo Cruz (1872-1917), Director of Public Health at the time, was hired to combat smallpox. Thus, mandatory vaccination against the disease was imposed on all Brazilians over six months of age.
The population refused to take the vaccine and, therefore, the campaign was carried out against the will of the people.
The concern with public health grew more and more and, in 1962, the Ministry of Health created the "National Campaign Against Smallpox".
Four years later (1966), the "Campaign for the Eradication of Smallpox" was created, which presented more expressive results than the previous one. About 80% of the population was vaccinated, thus reducing the number of cases of the disease in the country.
The last episodes of smallpox in Brazil took place in the early 1970s, in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, there are no more cases in the country.
Prevention
As there is no cure, smallpox vaccine is the only way to prevent the disease virus.
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