US THINKQUEST TEAM WSHS Regional epidemics Africa Eastern Asia Europe Miscellaneous Human immune system Virus infection Traditional medicine Glossary Sitemap Credits Image sources Content sources About Us About team Web design Contact us

- Image sources
- Content sources
- About team members
- Web development
- Contact us

Epidemics and medicine >> Regions >> Africa >> Smallpox >> General information

Sections on smallpox

• Two clinical forms of smallpox



• Symptoms of smallpox



• Transmission of smallpox



• Stages of the disease
  

Two clinical forms of smallpox

• Variola major
  
  
• the severe and most common form of small pox, with a more extensive rash and higher fever


• Overall fatality rate of about 30%, but flag and hemorrhagic smallpox are usually fatal



• Four types of Variola major small pox
  
  
  • Ordinary: The most frequent type, accounting for 90% or more of cases
  
  
  
  • Modified: Mild and occurring in previously vaccinated persons
  
  
  
  • Flat
  : Rare and deadly form of smallpox; affects about 5% of the persons
  
  
  • Hemorrhagic: Both rare and very severe


• Variola minor
  
  
• a less common and less severe type of smallpox, with death rates of 1% or less

Top

Symptoms

• High fever



• Head aches



• Body aches



• Vomiting in some cases



• Skin rash on the face, arms, legs and other areas of the body

Top

Transmission

The variola virus can be transmitted only through humans and can not be transmitted through insects or animals.

The ways the virus spread:

• Prolonged face-to-face contact



• Direct contact with infected bodily fluids, especially from coughing.



• Contaminated objects (bedding, clothing, etc.)



• In rare cases the virus can travel in the air, especially in enclosed settings such as buildings, buses, trains

Top

Stages

Exposure A person is infected by the smallpox virus	not contagious
Incubation Period (7 to 17 days) During this 7 to 17 day period an infected person is not contagious, do not have any symptoms, and may feel fine.	not contagious
Initial Symptoms (2 to 4 days) Early symptoms such as high fever, head aches, malaise, severe back pain, prostration, and vomiting may appear. The fever usually ranges from 101 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. People are sometimes contagious and usually too sick to continue on their normal habits.	sometimes contagious
Early Rash (4 days) Small red spots begin to emerge on the tongue and inside the mouth. They eventually break open and release a large amount of virus into the mouth and throat, making the person most contagious. The virus spreads the rash to the face, arms and legs, hands and feet generally within 24 hours. As the rash appears, the fever starts to fall. By the third day, the rash forms into raised bumps, and by the fourth day, they will be filled a thick, opaque fluid and often have a depression in the center that resembles a bellybutton, a major distinguishing character of the disease.	very contagious
Pustular Rash (5 days) The bumps become sharply raised, round and firm as if BB bullets were buried under the skin.	contagious
Pustules and Scabs (5 days) By end of the second week after the first appearance of the rash, most of the sores become scab. The person is still contagious.	contagious
Resolving Scabs (6 days) The scabs start to fall off, leaving behind pitted scars on the skin. Most scabs will fall off by the end of the third week after the appearance of the rash, but the person will be still contagious.	still contagious
Scabs Resolved (6 days) When all the scabs have fallen off, the person is no longer contagious. The person is contagious until the very last scab is fallen off.	not contagious

Source: CDC Smallpox Fact Sheet

Top

Back