I just thought I would pass along a comment made by a Canadian microbiologist on a tv interview show yesterday. She said that the majority of deaths due to Smallpox in the past were due to infections contracted through the broken skin due to the chicken pox-like sores. The infection travels to the blood, then goes system-wide. She said that today in North America, with our standards of cleanliness, and antibiotics, Smallpox really is no where near the health concern it used to be. Hope this helps settle a few nerves about this highly contagious disease.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

Answers

Thanks, rb. I had read where, if smallpox takes a hold, it could be a year before the epidemic settles down. If so, not much chance to avoid it.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

it's so hard to keep little kids from skinning their knees and elbows these days, even if they are glued to the tv or computer.

I myself manage to get breaks in the skin on a regular basis both at work and at home. I do carry treated bandaids for these since going to the nurse for each and every instance would make me out to be some sort of klutz. LOL

What were the vectors for spreading smallpox? Arial sprays? And I seem to recall that it can be spread person to person thru contact. I think I'll just wave and nod the noggin, instead of shaking hands and hugging, from now on. sorry if that seems aloof, but....

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

Barefoot, the human contact is lung to lung. You have to inhale it, AFAIK.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

You can catch it from droplets ejected during coughing and sneezing, just like the flu. You can catch it from contact with clothing or bedding that has drainage from the lesions, just like impetigo.

yuck

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

From what I've read, it can be carried by the wind, and is highly contaigous for 100+ feet away.

I read of one case where a person contracted smallpox by just walking past a hospital room where another victim was being treated. The 2nd person didn't come within 10' of the room, yet still caught smallpox.

This is one *nasty* little disease...

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

Sounds like it's just as easy to catch as a cold. Wash hands, wash hands, wash hands. Now to teach my 1st grader this til it sticks...sigh!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

The book I'm currently slogging through (Armies of Pestilence by R.S. Bray) says... "Smallpox is less contageious than chicken-pox or influenza (both lung to lung virus diseases) as the virus tends to be deeper in the bronchi and so less available to the sputum and droplets on coughing or sneezing. The patient is not infectious when the disease is developing early only and only becomes so when lesions (as pustules) exuding virus appear in the mouth and pharynx. It is when these pustules burst to shed virus (a brief period) that the patient is most infectious. Other material such as bed-linen may be infectious as well as the virus can live quite a long time outside the body."

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

this is getting to be one really gross thread.

LOL

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

Only because it's lunchtime here on the east coast...

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

I'm stocking up on soap and bleach, I think!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001