And Now, the Good News about Smallpox

Slate ^ | October 26, 2001 | Jon Cohen

[TomB]

Although you bring up an interesting point. If there is an epidemic, and you don't want to get it, don't got to a doctor's office or hospital. Since those are the only areas, other than private homes, where you can catch the disease, you only need to avoid those areas to stop from getting sick.

[He Rides A White Horse]

This absolutely shows the absolute EVIL we are dealing with.

This is where political correctness breaks down......let someone try describing them as 'different'.........

There is evil in the world, and it's a very real thing.

[Larousse2]

Great post. I received the small pox vaccination many years ago. My question is, would smallpox antibodies be detected in a blood test, and if so, which one?

[CathyRyan]

Look what I am trying to say is the world of a ER waiting room is not perfect. The guy came in went to the front desk and said I am have chest pains and shortness of breathe In a prefect world he would have been rushed back to a room, in real life the chick at the counter told him to go sit down and wait till he was called. I spend as little time in ERs and doctor's offices as I can get by with. I figure if I am not really that sick going in I very well might be coming out.

[CathyRyan]

I would think the best thing to do is go home and not leave for any reason (or let anyone in). But them life gets mess and that may not be possible.

[TomB]

Great, so what's your point?

[the Wayne]

Here's an article I got off the web. It seems to confirm something I saw on a TV discussion: smallpox kills mainly through secondary bacterial infections of the pox. If this is true, modern anti-biotics might decrease the death rate dramatically.

Smallpox
Author/s: Rosalyn S. Carson-DeWitt

Definition

Smallpox is an infection caused by the virus called variola, a member of the poxvirus family. Throughout all of history, smallpox has been a greatly feared disease, responsible for huge epidemics worldwide, and the cause of great suffering and massive numbers of deaths. In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that an extensive program of vaccination against the disease had resulted in the complete eradication of the virus, with the exception of samples of stored virus in two laboratories.

Description

Smallpox was strictly an infection of human beings. Animals and insects could neither be infected by smallpox, nor carry the virus in any form. Most infections were caused by contact with a person who had already developed the characteristic skin lesions (pox) of the disease, although a person who had a less severe infection (not symptomatic or diagnosable in the usual way) could unwittingly spreading the virus.

Causes & symptoms

Smallpox was a relatively contagious disease, which accounts for its ability to cause massive epidemics. The variola virus was acquired from direct contact with individuals sick with the disease, from contaminated air droplets, and even from objects used by another smallpox victim (books, blankets, utensils, etc.). The respiratory tract was the usual entry point for the variola virus into a human being.

After the virus entered the body, there was a 12-14 day incubation period during which the virus multiplied, although no symptoms were recognizable. After the incubation period, symptoms appeared abruptly and included fever and chills, muscle aches, and a flat, reddish purple rash on the chest, abdomen, and back. These symptoms lasted about three days, after which the rash faded and the fever dropped. A day or two later, fever would return, along with a bumpy rash starting on the feet, hands, and face. The rash would progress, ultimately reaching the chest, abdomen, and back. The individual bumps (papules) would fill with clear fluid, and eventually become pus-filled over the course of 10-12 days. These pox would eventually scab over, each leaving a permanently scarred pock or pit when the scab dropped off.

Death from smallpox usually followed complications such as bacterial infection of the open skin lesions, pneumonia, or bone infections. A very severe and quickly fatal form of smallpox was called "sledgehammer smallpox," and resulted in massive, uncontrollable bleeding (hemorrhage) from the skin lesions, as well as from the mouth, nose, and other areas of the body.

Fear of smallpox came from both the epidemic nature of the disease, as well as from the fact that no therapies were ever discovered to either treat the symptoms of smallpox, or shorten the course of the disease.

[abner]

Whoa there newzjunkey. I'm sorry you missed my sarcasm. I have the same reaction to 'the children' as you do. In this particular case though, it happens to be true.

My son just turned 18, but in the smallpox vaccination reality that we happen to live in right now, he is completely unprotected. To me, he is still my child.

The Hitlery generation has made 'the children' a bad thing. Just one more of Her Corruptness' legacies.

[syriacus]

Keep in mind the article is only proposing some studies indicate this. It doesn't make it true. Also, that one study indicated it MAY last up to 50 years in some cases....not everyone will even in that study.

Thanks for the caveats. But I can't help myself.
I can't help feeling more hopeful about our chances against smallpox. It seemed so hopeless before. Everyone sick. Everyone dying.

If vaccinations MIGHT last 50 years, and some of us had vaccinations only 40 years ago, there just MIGHT be some hope. Considering the tentative findings of this study, and the advances in medicine, and the thought that some vaccine might be available to help those who are not immune...things look better.

Is there a chance that, somehow, the smallpox immunity factor in the bodies of the over-40 year-olds could be transferred to their family members who are not immune?

[RBurke]

Sorry Tom, but I agree with Stephan--He's done his homework. If you doubt it, then take the time to read the scenario and results of the "Dark Winter" exercise conducted this summer. A few of their findings include;

"Initial innoculation strategy was intriniscally unsustainable before the first infection showed up in the hospital."

(My Note* basically infected people infected many others before the disease became obvious. They surmise 10 people are infected by those already ill BEFORE they show the symptoms of disease/or seek medical treatment. In a situation like this, it takes time to backtrack how a victim was exposed/who he has now exposed-- and this exercise showed cleary that the disease spreads much faster than our ability to track down and quarantine other possible victims.)

"Those in charge don't understand the scope of an initial infection."

"The medical care system was overwhelmed quickly."

"Current vaccine reserves cannot contain an epidemic." They ran out of vaccine with only the first 3 states population.

Their findings showed that quarantine and forced travel restrictions were the only option left to try to retain control of the disease spreading--in this exercise that option failed miserably.)

The results were that interstate commerce collapsed, international commerce was totally halted, food/water/energy supplies ran out quickly and the govt decided to impose martial law within a short period of time.

"Dark Winter"

[kingh99]

Exactly. Being an army brat I got every vaccination under the sun. I don't have a visible scar. My kids deserver better, however. If I was a young man today, I would join the military. It's going to get the best treatment over the next decade. Just like the 40's, 50's and 60's. Military got first class treatment in medical care for their kiddos.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

"Great, so what's your point?"

You appear to be a genius at "missing the point"- which is why I gave up on this pointless discussion and got some work done. CathyRyan's "point" was perfectly obvious the FIRST time she made it- to everyone but you. Have you ever had your reading comprehension checked? Maybe you should.

By the way, I strongly suspect that you are a either a politician or an academic in some non-rigorous field (English? Ethnic Studies?), because you seem to have little ability to reason. And I mean that in the NICEST POSSIBLE WAY!

[angry elephant]

I had no idea *40%* of America is 29 and under. You wouldn't know it with the way the Boomer's act. I hope when they start the vaccinations up again they start with the unvaccinated and don't decide to treat this on an outbreak-by-outbreak basis.

They should start with the under 20s and the military. A lot of the 20- to 30-year-old group will be in the work force with older people not likely to spread the disease. Maybe this group could be treated on a case-by-case basis.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Thank you for posting the "DARK WINTER" links. Perhaps this will convince even the ebullient, preternaturally optimistic TomB that there really is very little (if any) "GOOD NEWS ABOUT SMALLPOX"!!!

[Kozak]

Honestly, at the first sign of smallpox, I'm gonna go find some cows and vaccinate myself. Anyone have James Herriot's number, because I don't know what cowpox looks like.

Good luck. Cause all the cows are already vaccinated against cox pox. So you won't find it.

[KfromMich]

I don't believe it's really going to take months to get the immunizations, the virus used to make the vaccine can replicate much faster than that, but even if it does, it's not really that hard for people to do their own if they had to.

How do you go about doing your own vaccination?

[Old Professer]

Anyone have James Herriot's number, because I don't know what cowpox looks like.

I believe the esteemed Mr. Harriot is no longer living.

[Old Professer]

Can someone tell me hat the Small pox vaccine scar looks like?

It looks as though someone burned you on the upper arm with a small car cigarette lighter; roughly circular and with pin pricks where the vaccine needle was dipped and jabbed repeatedly in the epidermal layer of flesh at the apex of the outer shoulder muscle.

[HENRYADAMS]

I have grave doubts that the 30% death estimates are accurate. People overlook that many early smallpox deaths were caused by secondary infections e.g. staph and pneumonia. These can be controlled today. Absent introducing a "Tweeked Bug" I would hazard an estimate of about 5% death. Just a lot of sick folks left with scars.

[Think free or die]

I appreciate even a glimmer of good news about this potential threat. At least my husband and I are likely to have some residual immunity. Our little sons are the big worry, as many other parents have expressed.

Since our current medical practitioners have no experience with diagnosing smallpox, I hope that CDC is supporting them with the necessary information, photos, etc. As potential first-line diagnosticians, school nurses should also be alerted to symptoms and isolation procedures. Given what's happened with Anthrax, I suspect this is too much to expect of CDC.

Apart from preparing our family for potential isolation and keeping alert, I feel too, too helpless on this threat.