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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.
Diseases associated with this genus include smallpox, cowpox, horsepox, camelpox, and mpox. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The most widely known member of the genus is Variola virus , which causes smallpox. It was eradicated globally by 1977, through the use of Vaccinia virus as a vaccine .
Smallpox (variola orthopox virus ) Early Rash vs chickenpox.gif; Human body silhouette.svg; Author: Smallpox (variola orthopox virus ) Early Rash vs chickenpox.gif: Unknown author; Human body silhouette.svg: *Upper body front.png: Mikael Häggström; Background made transparent by Frédéric MICHEL; for Graphic Lab (fr). derivative work: RexxS
The name of the family, Poxviridae, is a legacy of the original grouping of viruses associated with diseases that produced poxes on the skin.Modern viral classification is based on phenotypic characteristics; morphology, nucleic acid type, mode of replication, host organisms, and the type of disease they cause.
The Massachusetts smallpox epidemic or colonial epidemic was a smallpox outbreak that hit Massachusetts in 1633. [1] Smallpox outbreaks were not confined to 1633 however, and occurred nearly every ten years. [2] Smallpox was caused by two different types of variola viruses: variola major and variola minor. [3]
Cowpox, a rodent disease that can infect cattle, and is also transmissible to humans; used for vaccination against smallpox; Dogpox, an infection of canines; Farmyard pox, an infectious skin disease; Fowlpox, an infectious disease of poultry; Goatpox, an infectious disease of goats; Horsepox, an infectious disease of horses
Smallpox was a dangerous disease caused by the variola major virus. The most common type of smallpox, ordinary, historically has devastated populations with a 30% death rate. The smallpox virus is transmittable through bodily fluids and materials contaminated with infected materials.
The virus is usually transmitted by prolonged face-to-face contact with a person showing symptoms. The incubation period averages 12–14 days. [18] One of the most feared diseases of human history, smallpox was still causing an estimated 2 million deaths every year as late as 1967. [19] [20] Smallpox virus