Addressing the concerns about smallpox

Smallpox (Variola) is an acute contagious viral disease that has a relatively high fatality rate in an immunologically naive population. Smallpox is a member of the larger pox family of viruses. Smallpox canmanifest itself in two clinical forms: Variola major and Variola minor. Variola major in its common manifestation is more widely known as a consequence of the extensive rashes and pustules covering large parts of the body and the ugly lesions that mark the survivors for the remainder of their life. In 30 percent of cases the infection is fatal. However, there are two rare types of smallpox infection, namely malignant (or flat) and hemorrhagic smallpox, that are extremely severe and almost always fatal (mortality rates are 95—100 percent and 94 percent, respectively, in unvaccinated victims). In cases of malignant smallpox no pustules are formed, but the lesions remain soft and flat instead. Hemorrhagic smallpox is characterized by hemorrhage into the mucous membranes and the skin. There also exists a mild form of Variola major, which occurs in people who were previously vaccinated. The latter three types accounted for less than 10 percent of all cases. Variola minor, or alastrim, is rarer and its consequences less severe,