Smallpox: The Fight to Eradicate a Global Scourge, Essay Example

Smallpox is an infectious disease known to infect human beings. Two types of variola virus are known to cause smallpox i.e. variola minor and variola major. Variola virus is a large break shaped virus that measures between 302 and 350 nanometers .It has a single linear DNA genome that contains a hairpin loop at both ends. Variola virus is of the genus orthopox virus and the family proxiviridae.The virus has many infectious forms and mechanisms of cell entry. It replicate in the cytoplasm instead of the cell nucleus. This makes it very hard to contain.

History

Smallpox is believed to have originated in India or Egypt at around 1350 BC and is one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity. It is not clear who discovered small pox but Dr. Campbell is credited with discovering how smallpox spreads. For many centuries, many epidemics swept across the world greatly reducing human population and changing the human history. In fact, it was so severe in some cultures that they forbid naming of children until they caught the disease and proved that they would survive. In 1796, there was a breakthrough in efforts to control the disease when Edward Jenner discovered that inoculation with cowpox protected against smallpox. By 1967, it threatened to wipe out 60 percent of the human race prompting the world health organization to initiate an eradication campaign .As a result, smallpox was declared as eradicated in 1980 (Koplow 52).

Symptoms

The initial symptoms of the disease are similar to those of other viral diseases .They include fever, muscle ache, depression, head ache, prostration, queasiness and back ache. This usually lasts for 2-4 days. By the 12^th -15^th day, small red colored acne like spots known as enanthem (lesions) appear on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, tongue, throat and palate. The temperatures then fall back to normal. The lesions speedily increase in size and rapture releasing large amounts of viruses into the saliva. Preferentially, smallpox virus attacks skin cells causing characteristic pimples known as macules. One or two days after lesions in the mucous membrane appear, a rash emerges on the surface of the skin. Initially, the pimples appear on the brow. They then spread to the whole face and eventually to the whole body. After 24-36 hours, the lesions stop appearing. During the second day, the macules develop into raised opalescent fluid filled papules that develop into vesicles. Within 24-48 hours, the fluids become opaque as well as turbid giving the appearance of pustules which are filled with tissue debris. After two weeks, the pustules shrink and get dehydrated to become scrabs that form all over the lesions. However, patients remain ill even after the formation of scrabs (Tucker 172).

Side effects of smallpox

Smallpox is known to cause complications in the respiratory system ranging from simple bronchitis to fatal pneumonia. The infections are either viral or bacterial. Smallpox also causes encephalitis that may cause temporary disability and permanent pitted scars notably on the face. Pustules can form on the eyelid, conjunctiva and cornea. This may lead to complications such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, orneal ulcer, iritis, iridocyclitis and optic atropthy.35-40 percent of the eye infections lead to blindness. Smallpox may also lead to limb deformities, ankylosis, and malformed bones, flail joints and stubby fingers. At its worst smallpox leads to the death of the patient.

Treatment of smallpox

Small pox vaccination within three days of exposure prevents and greatly lessens the severity of the symptoms in most cases. Apart from vaccination, other treatments for smallpox is supportive e.g. wound care and infection control, fluid therapy and ventilator assistance. Fluid resuscitation is used to treat haemoragic types of smallpox. No drug is approved for smallpox treatment though antiviral drugs like cidofovir are useful as a therapeutic agent (Mack 462).

Conclusion

Smallpox is a viral disease with no known cure. It also has very many devastating effects. It is for this reason that the world health organization through research came up with a vaccine for it. In fact by 1980, it was considered eradicated in the whole world. It is hoped that at no time will this killer disease ever occur again. However, research should still continue for a possible cure to be found.

Works Cited

Koplow, David A. Smallpox: the fight to eradicate a global scourge. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.

Mack T. (2003). “Vaccination.” New England Journal of Medicine 348.5 (2003): 460–463.

Tucker, Jonathan B. (2001). Scourge: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox. New York: Grove Press, 2001.