Smallpox Essay

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Smallpox is a disease from the variola virus. Smallpox has caused an estimated number of 300 million deaths in the 1900s alone. Smallpox is said to have been around since the ancient Egyptian times. The disease was eradicated in the late 20th century and two samples are still kept, one in U.S.A and one in Russia. Smallpox creates bumps and blisters all over the body and has been one of the most fatal epidemics the world has seen.

Symptoms[edit]

The symptoms of Smallpox are:
Rashes on the body,
Fevers,
Headaches,
Malaise (which is a general discomfort or uneasiness),
Backache,
Bumps and red scabs on the body,
Vomiting and
Fatigue.
After a few days after developing a rash, it may change into small lumps all over the body. These symptoms may come just after a week of being infected. "The first symptoms may appear 12 to 14 days after you're infected." A rash will appear in the mouth and throat in the first few days, it will then spread to the face and arms and finally, the legs. The rashes will grow bigger as days go by, eventually transforming into large bumps filled with puss and fluid. Then these bumps are replaced with blisters, which will drop off and that indicates that the person has become infected and can possibly spread the disease.
Causes[edit]

The spread of smallpox is by inhaling air from an already infected person, which will cause the person who is inhaling to become infected themselves. Another cause of infection is coming into contact with an infected person sneezing or coughing. Another form of spreading the disease has is infecting a person when they come into contact with the puss that is inside the lumps on an already infected person's body, also the skin and body fluids, as well as intimate objects that have b...

... middle of paper ...

...also putting together vaccines and other medications on other diseases that could possibly cause an outbreak

Other information[edit]

Smallpox had no particular age groups, it targeted the young old and middle aged, it also didn't matter if someone was rich or poor as even Abraham Lincoln contracted the disease and Joseph Stalin (Leader of the soviet union in the in the early 20th century) had got it at a young age. Smallpox also killed many native aboriginals when the First Fleet arrived in Australia nad brought the disease with them. To this day, people fear that U.S.A or Russia will use the Smallpox sample they have stored as a biological weapon, which could cause another outbreak in the targeted country. This would be horrific but vaccinations would be created to reduce the number of infections. There is also a very slim chance that it will be used as a weapon.

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