Question 1

can i get smallpox?

Accepted Answer

No: Small pox has been eliminated from any possible exposure.  There are two deposits of the virus left:  one in the CDC deep freeze in Atlanta and one in a similar place in Russia.  The only way you could get this disease would be by an act of terrorism which is very unlikely.

Question 2

is smallpox serious?

Accepted Answer

Deadly: Case fatality rate 30-100% depending on form and patient age. Patients were often bedridden with fever 102-4 for the week before spots came out. If they survived, it was 3-4 wks before the were no longer contageous and longer before they regained their strength.

Question 3

how is smallpox treated ?

Accepted Answer

No cases/ supportive: The world health organization declared smallpox eradicated in 1979 with the last known natural cases in 1977. During its active period the only known care was supportive. Some modern antivirals might have some benefit but without cases to treat there is no data to show effectiveness. As an illness it was unique in having no carrier insects or animals, only human to human transmission.

Question 4

how does smallpox spread?

Accepted Answer

Person to person: Contact with infectious material from an person with smallpox is how this was passed. There are no insects or animals that spread the germ. Since there has been no cases since 1977, we only hear about this from people worried it may resurface as a bioterror weapon.

Question 5

how do you catch smallpox?

Accepted Answer

Exposure to case: Since the disease hasn't been found active in the world since 1977, it would be quite a notable event for you to get smallpox. While it was active it was passed person to person.

Question 6

how can you cure smallpox?

Accepted Answer

Treatment supportive: Given that 30+ years have past since the last case, there may be newer meds available that would help.Treatment at the time was supportive.

Question 7

how is smallpox transmitted?

Accepted Answer

Person to person: No insects or animals for this disease. Only contact with infectious material from a contageous person will pass this germ. Viral particles from sores inside the mouth or blisters on the skin are the source.

Question 8

was smallpox truly eradicated?

Accepted Answer

Smallpox: All natural sources of smallpox have been eradicated. The WHO announced World-wide eradication of Smallpox on May 8 1980. Smallpox has no animal reservoirs. So Smallpox would not return naturally.

Question 9

what is the cause of smallpox?

Accepted Answer

Variola Virus: Smallpox is caused by the variola virus, which is a large dna virus that is rather contagious and easily transmissible from humans to humans.

Question 10

where does smallpox still exist?

Accepted Answer

Smallpox: The WHO announced World-wide eradication of Smallpox on May 8 1980. There may still be some quantities of smallpox in limited research labs but it no longer occurs naturally.

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