What is Smallpox?

What is Smallpox?

Small pox is a highly infectious disease caused by Variola which is spread by inhaling particles of the virus from the oral, nasal or pharyngeal mucosa of an infected person. Small pox caused an estimated 300-500 million deaths during the 20th century but was eventually declared eradicated in 1979 following successful worldwide immunisation programmes.  When discussing Smallpox, The World Health Organization (2013) says,  "It was one of the world's most feared diseases until it was eradicated by a collaborative global vaccination programme led by the World Health Organization" .The last known natural case was is Samalia in 1977.

Symptoms
Symptoms os Smallpox include:

• Fever
• Muscle Aches
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Tiredness
• Rash, which is small fluid filled blisters all over the body.

Below is a demonstration of the typical smallpox rash.

                                                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

References

1. WHO (2013) Smallpox. Geneva: WHO. [Online]. Available from:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/en/ [04/04/13].

2. Hicks. R, (2013) Smallpox. London: BBC. [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/smallpox1.shtml [04/04/13].

 

For or Against? - The destruction of the last known stocks of the small pox virus.

For my latest assignment I am simply asked to prepare a group discussion which will focus on the following statement.

"One of the longest and most contentious international policy debates has swirled around the question of whether to destroy the last known stocks of the smallpox (variola) virus which are preserved at two World Health Organization (WHO) - authorised repositories in Russia and the United States. Although smallpox was eradicated from nature more than three decades ago, concerns surfaced in the early 1990's that a few countries might have retained undeclared samples of the virus for biological warfare purposes. Because a smallpox outbreak would be a global public health emergency of major proportions, in 1999 the WHO approved a research program at the two authorized repositories to develop imporved medical defences against the disease."

From recent research I have undertaken I must decide whether I am for or against the destruction of the stocks. Following posts will show my decision, and how I came to it.