Smallpox Presentation

Smallpox

• Variola

Overview

• Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004

• Organism
• History
• Epidemiology
• Transmission
• Disease in Humans
• Disease in Animals
• Prevention and Control

The Organism

The Organism

• Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004

• Double stranded DNA
• Orthopoxvirus
• Variola, cowpox, vaccinia, monkeypox,
• Variola major or minor
• Stable out side host
• Retains infectivity
• Last case, 1977
• Eradicated, 1980

History

History of Smallpox

• Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004

• First appeared in Northeastern Africa around 10,000 BC
• Skin lesions on mummies
• 1570-1085 BC
• Ramses V

History of Smallpox

• Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004

• 1763, Sir Jeffrey Amherst
• Smallpox in blankets for Indians
• 18th century Europe
• 400,000 deaths
• Case fatality, 20-60%
• Scars, blindness
• Infants, 80-98% CF

Variolation

• Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004

• Ground scabs, pus, vesicles used to vaccinate
• China, powdered scabs blown into nostrils
• Pills from fleas of cows
• India, application of scab or pus to scarified skin
• Children exposed to mild smallpox

Variolation

• Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University - 2004

• Variolation came to Europe early 18th century
• 1715, Lady Mary Wortley Montague
• 1718, Inoculated her 5 yr. old son
• 1721, inoculated her daughter
• 1745, London Smallpox Inoculation Hospital founded