Likewise, smallpox claimed the life of an Inca emperor and wiped out much of the Inca population in western South America. In Europe, smallpox is estimated to have claimed 60 million lives in the 18th century alone.
In the 20th century, it killed some million people globally. The human fight against smallpox dates back some 2, years. In Asia, a technique known as variolation involved deliberately infecting a person by blowing dried smallpox scabs up their nose. Those who received this treatment contracted a mild form of the disease, developing a lifelong immunity.
A key breakthrough came in when an experiment by English doctor Edward Jenner showed that inoculation using closely related cowpox could protect against smallpox. Jenner's discovery paved the way for later vaccination programs—especially crucial since there is no effective treatment for smallpox.
In , a year when some 10 million to 15 million people contracted smallpox, the World Health Organization launched a worldwide eradication campaign based on vaccination.
Gradually, the disease was pushed back to the Horn of Africa, and the last known natural case occurred in Somalia in Despite being consigned to the history books, there's still a chance of smallpox coming back to haunt us—as a biological weapon.
Such fears escalated dramatically in the United States following the September 11, , terrorist attacks. While the risk of such a bioterror attack is considered very low, the U. All rights reserved. Smallpox Inspections A young Native American boy in Yukon Territory is checked for smallpox and vaccinated against the disease in this circa photograph. Early Victims Smallpox is thought to have originated in India or Egypt at least 3, years ago. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.
They can only succeed if their efforts are matched by a commitment by governments of rich countries not to leave poor countries behind, to meet the funding needs of an eradication project, and not to undermine one with CIA spy operations that imitate vaccine campaigns. Another critical takeaway is that once the work has succeeded, we have to make sure never to undermine it.
He wants them destroyed lest some accident or malicious act unleash smallpox on the world again. There have already been a few close calls. A year after smallpox was declared eradicated, bad lab safety procedures led to another outbreak in Birmingham in the UK. Just a few years ago, improperly stored smallpox vials were found in a lab in the US. We need to take biosecurity and pathogen research much more seriously.
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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. A smallpox vaccination center in Bihar, India, in Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year.
Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. This image contains sensitive or violent content. Bettmann Archive via Getty Images. British physician Edward Jenner discovered the vaccine against smallpox.
Hulton Archive via Getty Images. Costa Ricans are inoculated against smallpox, measles, and polio in Hundreds of primary school children in England are vaccinated against smallpox in A woman is vaccinated during a serious smallpox epidemic in Pakistan in Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images. Children in Cameroon show their vaccination certificates after being vaccinated against smallpox in The first symptoms of smallpox usually show up about days after a person has been exposed to the illness, although symptoms can take as little as seven days or as long as 17 days to appear.
Once the first symptoms appear, the patient is usually too ill to travel or engage in most forms of activity. The patient doesn't become infectious - capable to transmitting the disease to others - until the rash appears. Smallpox is contagious, but it's spread less easily than illnesses like influenza or measles. Generally, it takes prolonged, face-to-face contact - of the kind that takes place in a household setting - to spread the disease from one person to another.
It can also be spread through direct contact with body fluids, or objects like bedding and clothing. It can also be spread through the air in buildings or other enclosed spaces, although that happens less commonly. There is currently no proven treatment for smallpox. However, it can be prevented through vaccination. The vaccine can still protect people even after they've already been exposed to the smallpox virus. However, once the incubation period or virus development phase was over, the following flu-like symptoms occurred:.
These symptoms would go away within two to three days. Then the patient would feel better. However, just as the patient started to feel better, a rash would appear.
The rash started on the face and then spread to the hands, forearms, and the main part of the body. The person would be highly contagious until the rash disappeared. Within two days of appearance, the rash would develop into abscesses that filled with fluid and pus. The abscesses would break open and scab over. The scabs would eventually fall off, leaving pit mark scars. Until the scabs fell off, the person remained contagious.
There were two common and two rare forms of smallpox. The two common forms were known as variola minor and variola major. Variola minor was a less fatal type of smallpox. However, it was less common than variola major.
The CDC estimates that 90 percent of smallpox cases were variola major.
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