Transmission Of Smallpox: Systemic Review Of Natural Outbreaks In Europe & North America sInce Wwii

It is a deadly virus that can kill as many as 30% of the people it infects. As recently at 1967, an estimated 15 million people contracted the disease, with 2 million of those dying. What is this sickness? Smallpox, caused by the Variola virus, is a highly contagious disease that, if unprepared for, could cause mass devastation if used as a biological weapon. Its affects can range from small, raised pustules on the skin combined with flu-like symptoms, to hemorrhages that develop in the skin and mucous membranes that can cause the skin to slough off. A disease this virulent must be prepared for.   In this post-9/11 era, readiness is as important as ever, and one of the most efficient ways to be prepared for a smallpox attack is to study its transmission patterns in Europe and North America following World War II, specifically examining our current vulnerability, traits of these past outbreaks, and any patterns that may arise.
So why is smallpox such a threat to today's society? Though it was eradicated in 1977, the virus is still stored officially in two licensed labs in the United States and Russia (Radetsky, 1999; Outbreak, 2004). Additionally, there exists a very real worry that terrorists have acquired weaponized forms of the disease, and a definite concern that the virus can be mass produced (Henderson et al, 1999). These weapons could include an aerosol form, where virus particles are dispersed in the air, resulting in a widespread distribution that would affect many people (Smallpox FAQ, 2005; Henderson et al, 1999). Once let out, the virus can survive for more that twenty-four hours if the location of release if not decontaminated by ultraviolet light (Henderson et al, 1999). Due to the fact that an infectious measure of the virus is very small, a delivery device could easily be smuggled into a busy location. Furthermore, those who do not contract the disease may panic even if a small outbreak occurs. That is because when a person hears "smallpox," they...