Smallpox | What you need to know about this deadly disease that has been eradicated from the world

You've probably heard from your grandparents about the "great disease" of the past. That's smallpox. People were so afraid of smallpox back then that they thought it was a sign of death. But we're lucky today, because this terrible disease is no longer in the world. So let's talk today about what smallpox is, how it was eradicated, and why it's important to know about it.

What exactly is smallpox?

Simply put, smallpox is a very serious, contagious disease that spread throughout the world many years ago. When it occurs, it causes water-filled, pus-filled, hard, stone-like blisters (pustules) to appear all over the body. After these blisters dry up, deep scars remain that last a lifetime. Not only that, but about one in every three people who contracted this disease died . Imagine how terrible that was. Millions of people died from this disease.

However, since the 1960s, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been working with every country in the world to eradicate the disease. Through vaccination and control of the disease, this massive effort has been successful. In 1980, it was officially declared that smallpox had been completely eradicated from the world . The last naturally occurring case of the disease was reported in 1977.

So now smallpox is no longer found anywhere in the world?

No. Smallpox does not spread naturally among humans anymore. There has not been a single case of smallpox reported in the world for more than 45 years.

However, samples of the virus that causes smallpox, Variola virus, have been stored under very strict security in two laboratories in the United States and Russia for research purposes only.

How did we defeat this terrible disease?

Smallpox was eradicated due to several factors. This is very important to understand.

• Only affected humans: This disease only affected humans. It was not transmitted through other means, such as animals or mosquitoes. Therefore, the disease was easy to control.
• Easy to recognize: Everyone who contracted smallpox developed symptoms. Especially because of the characteristic rash, it was easy to identify someone who had the disease. There were no asymptomatic carriers who did not know they had the disease and could spread it to others.
• Spread slowly: The disease began to spread when the patient was very sick and unable to move around. Therefore, the disease usually spread only through close contact, such as between people living in the same household.
• "Ring Vaccination" method: Because the disease spread only to close contacts, health officials were able to quickly find everyone who had come into contact with the patient (family members, neighbors) and vaccinate them. This was called "ring vaccination." This stopped the disease from spreading beyond that area.
• Pre-existing immunity: Because the disease had been around for thousands of years, some people had already recovered from the disease and developed natural immunity. Therefore, fewer people needed to be vaccinated to stop the disease from spreading.

What are the symptoms of smallpox?

Smallpox symptoms appear in several stages. It is important to know this precisely.

The first symptoms, such as fever and headache, last for two to three days. The fever may continue even after the rash appears. The rash also goes through several stages.

Stages of Rash Development

Smallpox is a very special disease. Let's look at its stages.

Were there different types of smallpox?

Yes, there were several main types of smallpox, each with different severity.

• Ordinary smallpox: This was the most common type. About 85% of patients had this type. All the symptoms we discussed above belong to this type. One in three people who developed it died.
• Modified-type smallpox: This type has been reported in some people who had previously received the smallpox vaccine. The symptoms are similar to those of regular smallpox, but the rash is less severe and the disease resolves quickly. The death toll from this type is very low.
• Flat-type smallpox: This is a very severe form. The initial symptoms are very severe. The blisters do not harden or fill with pus. Instead, they coalesce and form a flat, soft rash. This occurs most often in children. If this form develops, death is almost certain.
• Hemorrhagic smallpox: A very severe form, common among pregnant women. The initial symptoms are severe. The blisters do not scab over, but instead, blood begins to ooze from beneath the skin. This causes the skin to turn black and look burnt. Internal organs may also bleed. This type is almost certain to cause death.

Let's talk a little about the smallpox vaccine.

The smallpox vaccine is a very important milestone in medical history.

In the late 18th century, a physician named Edward Jenner observed that women who milked cows with cowpox did not develop the deadly disease smallpox. Cowpox is a mild, but not fatal, disease that affects humans.

He tested this and confirmed it. Since the cowpox virus and the smallpox virus are very similar, the antibodies produced by the body when it gets cowpox also protect against the smallpox virus. So he gave a liquid taken from a cowpox patient's blister to a healthy person, and that person was protected from smallpox. The word "vaccine" comes from the Latin word "Vacca", which means "cow".

Smallpox vaccine scar

Have you ever seen a round, small, raised scar on your grandmother's or grandfather's upper arm? That's the scar that occurs after the smallpox vaccine is given. Unlike other vaccines, the smallpox vaccine is given by pricking the skin with a needle with a split tip. A small wound forms there, a blister forms, and then the scar remains when it heals. After 1972, this vaccine was also stopped in Sri Lanka.

What is the difference between smallpox, chickenpox and Mpox?

This is something that confuses many people.

• Smallpox: This is a deadly disease caused by the Variola virus, which has now been eradicated from the world.
• Mpox (formerly Monkeypox): This belongs to the same group of viruses as smallpox, called Orthopoxvirus. Although the symptoms are somewhat similar to smallpox, Mpox is not as severe as smallpox.
• Chickenpox: This is a disease caused by a completely different virus (the `Varicella-zoster` virus). Despite the "pox" in the name, it has nothing to do with smallpox. The chickenpox blisters usually do not leave scars (unless they are scratched).

Smallpox, Smallpox, Smallpox Symptoms, Smallpox Vaccine, Variola Virus, Disease Eradication, World Health Organization, Chickenpox