Smallpox
Samantha Roberts
What are the symptoms of Smallpox?
The symptoms of the virus vary over the time the person has the virus, but over all, it includes
- high fever
- chills
- malaise
- headache
- severe back pain
- abdominal pain
- fatigue
- vomiting (usually)
How is the disease transmitted/spread?
It is generally spread by elongated amounts of time face to face with someone or direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects. It is known to only infect humans, and on rare occasions, it has been documented to once have spread through the air in a small building.
Different stages of the disease:
Facts
It is believed to have been on Earth for around 1,200 years, and it can even be found in Egyptian mummies. It was brought to America by European explorers and conquistadors. It was once used as biological warfare to attack Native Americans, and in the 20th century, there were about 300 - 500 million deaths, over 3x the deaths from tuberculosis.
How Is It Prevented or Treated?
The only way to prevent it is the vaccination, but you can make it less severe by taking the vaccination within 4-7 days after infection.
How we conquered the deadly smallpox virus - Simona Zompi