Small Pox Research Paper

Grant Kamer Mrs. Catlett Hour#4
December 2, 2015

Smallpox

Intro:

Smallpox is a disease that is caused by the Variola Virus entering the human body. Not to worry, the disease was widely destroyed in the world by 1980. The disease will cause white blotches of bumps starting on your arms and face progressing down your body. Although the Smallpox sores may look bad, that is not what kills you. The progression of the disease causes multi organ failure that leads to death in some humans that are infected.

Body System:

Smallpox is spread throughout the body on the skin and inside your body. "Smallpox is spread through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, laughs, or coughs" (Kugler 1).The respiratory system is the usual way the …show more content…
The disease was terminated in 1980. There is no cure to make it reliable but if the Variola emerges with humans again the vaccine should be given 4 days before getting contaminated. If not taken you would treat the symptoms with antibiotics. "Smallpox symptoms are chills headache backache nausea vomiting fever and red spots on the skin that develop into puss filled blisters." (Gale 1). Small pox is caused by the Variola Virus and only affects humans. The virus is particularly deadly because it can evade the host immune responses. In the past the virus has caused large outbreaks with fatality rates approaching 40-50% in nonvaccinated populations. The disease is spread by human contact. The secretions of the mouth and nose transmitted in air droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread by handling the infected humans sheets and towels. Exposure leads to an incubation period that last between 7-17 days during which time the human is not contagious. The first symptom is a …show more content…
"Smallpox is a highly contagious viral disease" (Gale 1). Variola major is the strain that causes death in humans. Variola minor is the much milder form. Exposure to either strain causes immunity to both viruses. The virus is composed of a center core which is dumbbell shaped. The core contains large amounts of double stranded DNA that can reproduce in the cytoplasm of the human being infected. The pox viruses do not reproduce in the nucleus of the cell like most viruses which makes them more difficult to fight.
In 1765 doctors noticed that milkmaids were immune to Smallpox because they were routinely exposed to another closely related cowpox virus. Edward Jenner created the first smallpox vaccine in 1796 by inoculating an eight year old boy with cowpox. All children received the small pox vaccine by the mid-20th century. This attempt eradicated Small pox and the last know case was in Somalia in 1977. Smallpox continues to be a world threat d

Due to the possibility ofbioterrorism. Smallpox would be deadly because it can be sprayed into a crowd and humans will breathe in the virus. Most people who were vaccinated as children are no longer immune

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