References
Smallpox and the origins of vaccination
Abstract
Smallpox is a highly infectious virus with a high mortality rate. Until the 19th century, smallpox epidemics regularly swept the UK. In some areas of the world, smallpox epidemics continued well into the 20th century. Smallpox has now been eradicated by an international effort led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The eradication of smallpox was achieved by vaccination, and the history of vaccination is closely linked to the treatment of this disease. Despite being eradicated in the natural environment, there are still stocks of smallpox kept by two governments which are the cause of ongoing debate. Today, biological weapons are considered part of the threat posed by terrorist organizations and a deliberate smallpox release is a conceivable scenario. This article will describe smallpox, its connection with vaccination and why knowledge of diseases such as smallpox can be valuable to paramedics.
The ‘bugs’ that are commonly caught by people can be more accurately described by the agent that causes the illness. These agents include parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses. The existence of viruses, taken from the Latin for venom or poison, was suggested at the end of the 19th century but the first virus was not seen, with the aid of an electron microscope, until 1931. A virus is an infectious agent that is totally dependent on its host to provide the means to replicate and thus continue its existence. Without a host, a virus is a simple yet inactive collection of molecules.
Viruses come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes, and are spread by a variety of means. The timescale that a virus needs to have an effect on its host can range from the acute to the long– term, and the effect can range from the irritating to the fatal (Hibberts et al. 2004).
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