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The smallpox vaccine is used to prevent smallpox infection caused by the variola virus. [10] It is the first vaccine to have been developed against a contagious disease. In 1796, British physician Edward Jenner demonstrated that an infection with the relatively mild cowpox virus conferred immunity against the deadly smallpox virus.
Smallpox is the first disease, and so far the only infectious disease of humans, to be eradicated by deliberate intervention. [6] It became the first disease for which there was an effective vaccine in 1798 when Edward Jenner showed the protective effect of inoculation (vaccination) of humans with material from cowpox lesions. [10]
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. [7] [11] The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980, [10] making smallpox the only human disease to have been eradicated to date.
Most of the confusion here stems from the fact that the virus inside smallpox vaccines isn’t found in nature. Vaccinia virus seems to only exist in laboratories, not in any biological hosts.
About 11-19% of survivors will have long-term disabilities, such as loss of limbs, deafness, nervous system problems, or brain damage. Depending on how serious the infection is, other treatments such as breathing support, medications to treat low blood pressure, and wound care for damaged skin by be necessary. [62]
Tecovirimat, sold under the brand name Tpoxx among others, [6] is an antiviral medication with activity against orthopoxviruses such as smallpox and mpox. [4] [7] [8] In 2018 it was the first antipoxviral drug approved in the United States. The drug works by blocking cellular transmission of orthopoxviruses, thus preventing disease. [9]
According to the CDC, monkeypox is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox. Both the CDC and the WHO have published data showing that the smallpox vaccine is 85% effective in preventing ...
The virus was normally spread through the air, infecting first the mouth, nose, or respiratory tract, before spreading throughout the body via the lymphatic system. In contrast, infection of the skin usually led to a milder, localized infection, but, crucially, still induced immunity to the virus.