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Home :: Family Health :: Smallpox Smallpox - Smallpox symptom, treatment, causes
Smallpox is a highly contagious and serious viral disease that was once a scourge throughout the world. Smallpox caused severe influenza-like symptoms, with muscle and joint pain, generalised organ, inflammation, and a widespread skin eruption that initially resembled chickenpox but often left deep scars. Death resulted in around 40 per cent of cases. In 1796 Edward Jenner showed that inoculation with cowpox virus protected people against smallpox - the first step towards modem infectious disease control by vaccination. Since 1959 an inter-nationally cooperative program of vaccination has eradicated smallpox. No cases have been reported anywhere in the 'world since 1980.
Smallpox is a very serious illness caused by a virus called the variola (say: vair-ee- oh -luh) virus . Before smallpox was eradicated, there were two forms of the disease worldwide Variola major , the deadly disease, and Variola minor , a much milder form. According to some health experts, over the centuries smallpox was responsible for more deaths than all other infectious diseases combined. It's believed to have first appeared in northeastern Africa or south-central Asia nearly 12,000 years ago. Since then, few other illnesses have had such a profound effect on human health and history. In the 20th century alone, an estimated 300 million people died of smallpox. The initial signs and symptoms of smallpox, which appear about two weeks after infection, resemble those of the flu: fever, fatigue and headache. Later, severe pus-filled blisters appear on the skin that eventually leave deep, pitted scars. Once symptoms develop, there's no effective treatment for smallpox and no known cure. The last naturally occurring case of smallpox was reported in 1977. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been eradicated. Currently, there is no evidence of naturally occurring smallpox transmission anywhere in the world. Although a worldwide immunization program eradicated smallpox disease decades ago, small quantities of smallpox virus officially still exist in two research laboratories in Atlanta, Georgia, and in Russia.
Smallpox is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. Smallpox gets its name from the pus-filled blisters (or pocks) that form during the illness. Although the names may sound alike, smallpox is not related to chickenpox , which is a milder disease caused by a different virus. Although people are concerned that the smallpox virus might be used as a weapon, this would be difficult for anyone to do. Right now, there are no cases of smallpox disease in the United States.
Causes of Smallpox
The common Causes of Smallpox :
- The main cause of smallpox is caused by variola virus of genus orthopoxvirus.
Symptoms of Smallpox
Some common Symptoms of Smallpox :
- Vomiting.
- Fatigue.
- Excessive bleeding.
- Severe headache and Backache.
- Malaise.
- Muscle and joint pain.
- Diarrhea.
- Flu-like symptoms.
- Chickenpox-like skin rashes.
Treatment of Smallpox
- Neem Bark.
- Kutki.
- Amla.
- Bark of Aroosa.
- Red Sandalwood.
- Pitta Papra.
- .Yavasa.
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