Smallpox is a fatal viral disease. It can be passed on by coughing, talking, or even breathing. This characteristic makes it an extremely contagious disease, meaning it can be passed on to others quickly. Smallpox's scientific name is variola, meaning spotted. Smallpox is known to have two forms, Variola Major and Variola Minor. Variola Major is a very serious form of the disease and is known to kill 20 to 40 percent of its victims. Variola Minor, is known to be the less serious form of the disease, killing only about one percent of its victims. Both are known to leave life-long scars. The virus enters the body through the nose or mouth. From then on, it takes its cycle, which most viruses pursue, and starts to make thousands of copies of itself. The smallpox virus multiplies in the lungs, lymph, and other tissues. In time, the virus circulates through the bloodstream and releases body toxins to kill other cells. It then attacks its primary organ, the skin. In the beginning, the rash forms skin spots knows as macules. Then, the rash somewhat raises and becomes pimple-like structures called papules. Later, these rashes fill with puss. In and extreme case of smallpox, there can be bleeding under the skin. Eventually this causes massive bleeding from the mouth and other body openings. It also leads to extreme organ and tissue damage. Such cases are called black pox and are almost always deadly.
Smallpox is usually treated with the removal of fluids from the skin spots. The virus can be observed for action, by an electron microscope. Other than good rest, fluids, antiseptic baths, and time; there is no real cure for smallpox. This does not mean, however, that the disease cannot be prevented. In 1796, Edward Jenner developed a vaccination for the smallpox virus. He noticed that some young women who milked cows, had developed a mild disease called cowpox, which was also a type of skin disease. He observed that these young women never contracted smallpox themselves. To test his hypothesis, he did an experiment. He took the puss from the cowpox disease and scratched it across a young boy's arm. Several weeks later, he did the same with the smallpox virus. The boy had not developed the smallpox virus. He, instead, had developed a natural immunity to the smallpox virus.
Smallpox has had a long history. The virus was originally spread throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. When the conquest for the Americas began, the virus traveled with the explorers. The disease first reached the Americas in a Spanish ship. The ship landed, in what is now, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In a matter of time, half a Native American population had been massacred. In 1520, with the arrival of Hernàn Cortès (a Spanish explorer), the disease had once again been brought to the Americas. What began only with one of his men, resulted in the death of three million Aztecs. A similar incident killed another 100,000 Incans in 1525. This left the Native Americans weak and defenseless for the Europeans to conquer.
Smallpox is a highly contagious viral disease, that is often fatal. It is very much like skin rash that forms on the body. The Smallpox virus eventually causes large pimple-like spots throughout the body. These spots are puss filled and eventually run together to cause an infection. In cases that the virus is non-fatal, the victim is left with permanent scars.
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