Smallpox

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Smallpox Objectives

Describe the pathogens, form of transmission, and symptoms associated with Smallpox.
Tell the story of early variolation (inoculation) and Edward Jenner’s vaccination.
Describe how COVID-19 relates to other respiratory-transmitted diseases.

Note: In 2022 Monkeypox appeared in the news as cases appeared in multiple countries outside where it typically occurs in central and western Africa. This is not smallpox, it has a lower risk of severe illness and death (approximately 1%). However, it is also potentially scarring like advanced chickenpox, a different skin rash disease. The smallpox vaccine has some efficacy, but most people under the age of 60 are not vaccinated. We will learn more about monkeypox in the years to come, particularly why it is spreading into more people in new regions.

Smallpox terrorized people for thousands of years. It crept though populations, killing many, and leaving many others suddenly blind and scarred from head to toe. Smallpox may have been the earliest example of a pathogen used as a form of biological weapon.

And now it is gone. This is one of the most amazing stories in human history.

Ancient civilizations had so many accomplishments, it is amazing to realize that many medical advances, like seeing pathogens under the microscope, occurred very recently in history.

COVID-19 and History

Q. How does this virus compare to other pandemics we’ve had?

A. Although it may seem like we have been experiencing this pandemic for some time, it is only three-and-a-half years since the initial reported case. As a result, there are still many unanswered questions, and those answers are needed to compare to previous pandemics. The times are also significantly different, there are more people, many medical advances, and a slew of other variables. All that being said, the number of infections and rising death rate is placing this almost on par with the influenza outbreak of 1918 in terms of severity. The form of transmission is similar, the age group primarily impacted is different, and the death rate is lower, but hidden infections may be higher. We have also seen disproportionate impacts on healthcare workers and people with limited access to health care.

This image is from a New York Army hospital in 1918. You can learn more about the 1918-19 flu pandemic here.

Q. Isn’t the coronavirus related to the common cold? Why is this worse?

A. The common cold is a syndrome of symptoms that is caused by different viruses, especially rhinoviruses. Over 100 different viruses have been linked to “common cold” symptoms, including a group of viruses in Family Coronaviridae, commonly called “coronaviruses” because of a spikey crown-like appearance. Unfortunately, SARS and MERS are beta-coronavirus species that differ genetically and structurally from the viruses attributed to the common cold.

You can learn more about the coronavirus family here.

The next section explores why we have not yet eradicated Polio despite having an effective vaccine for over 75 years.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

describe the pathogens, form of transmission, and symptoms associated with Smallpox?
tell the story of early variolation (inoculation) and Edward Jenner’s vaccination?
describe how COVID-19 relates to other respiratory-transmitted diseases?