Small Pox History Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Disease

Small Pox HistorySmallpox has been believed to be a prominent killer for thousands of years. Before 900 AD smallpox and measles were easily standardized to numerous physicians. These two diseases possessed similar symptoms, such as fevers and rashes, making it very difficult to distinguish between them. It was not until the Persian physician, Rhazes Ar-Raz Abmiz, that measles and smallpox were able to be clinically distinguished in 900 AD. Much later in 1751, Thomas Sydenham found further differentiating characteristics between the two diseases(Aufderheide, 202). Through the years, with its m any(prenominal) a(prenominal) outbreaks in varying areas across the planet, smallpox claimed millions of victims. Many rulers and soldiers were killed by this incredibly infectious disease. To prevent and hopefully stop the increasing numbers of conclusions due to smallpox, many physicians slaved away to invent and find a cure for this disease. The first effective method of prevention was ca lled variolation. Variolation was later modified and improved with vaccinations(Hopkins, 15). Today speculative smallpox is no longer a risk. The last natural case of smallpox was reported in Somalia in 1977. While the last reported death due to smallpox was reported to be a year later in the UK(McNeil, 165). Smallpox is not completely out of the picture. After the 2001 attacks with anthrax, a self-coloured paranoia of smallpox being used as another possible mean of bioterrorism has arisen(Oldst wiz, 32).Smallpox was once a major killer. In the 20th blow more than 400 million deaths by smallpox were recorded. In 1967, the World Health Organization reported that 15 million people became infected that oneyear(Hopkins, 16). After many soldiers, the disease claimed rulers, and regular civilians, ... ...an attack against the US. Today the vaccinia virus is used for vaccinations because it more closely resembles smallpox than cowpox does(McNeil, 165). Even though natural smallpox is n o longer an everyday threat as it was in the past, we cannot ignore its potential as a lethal weapon against any country.Works CitedAufderheide AC, Rodriguez-Martin C. Smallpox. The Cambridge encyclopedia of human paleopathology Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 1998.Christie AB. Smallpox. Infectious diseases epidemiology and clinical practice New York Churchill Livingstone, 1987.Hopkins DR. the greatest killer smallpox in history. Chicago University of Chicago Press, 2002.McNeil WH. Plagues and peoples a natural history of infectious diseases. New York Anchor Press,1976.Oldstone MBA. Smallpox. Viruses, plagues and history. Oxford Oxford University Press, 1998.