Earlier, one of the most terrible diseases leading to the death of the patient was considered smallpox. Now this virus is completely defeated, so it is almost impossible to meet it. This infectious disease is transmitted by airborne droplets in direct contact with an infected person. Outwardly, it manifests itself as a severe rash covering the patient's body with large black blisters.
The greatest risk of infection occurs in the first week after the rash, because at this time the maximum amount of infected particles accumulates in the saliva of a person. After the formation of scars on the skin, the possibility of transmission of infection is significantly reduced, but does not completely disappear.
The smallpox virus begins to develop when it enters the lymph nodes, and already on the fourth day, along with the bloodstream, it spreads throughout the body and mainly to the area of the bone marrow and spleen. The incubation period is about 8 days, that is, during this time the disease does not manifest itself.
The first symptomatic manifestations include a sharp increase in body temperature and general weakness. After spreading through all the blood vessels of the body, infected cells begin to penetrate the upper layers of the skin. The inflammatory process provokes swelling and the appearance of blisters.
Already on the 12th day, smallpox manifests itself as pain in the muscles, back, severe headache, accompanied by vomiting. Against the background of general malaise, clouding of the mind is observed. Two weeks after infection, a rash occurs that literally within a day turns into bubbles filled with fluid. Gradually, the rashes harden and darken, then burst, forming wounds. And just three weeks after infection, they become covered with a crust, after the healing of which scars remain.
First of all, smallpox manifests itself in the area of the oral mucosa, as well as on the face and hands, gradually spreading throughout the body. Moreover, the spread of infection is amazing, because the rash, which was observed only on the face, the next day is on the whole body of the patient.
Smallpox disease can be mistaken for ordinary chickenpox. Its distinctive feature is that after the rash the patient feels much better, the body temperature returns to normal, while with chickenpox the rash only worsens the well-being of the infected person.
As a rule, people who received vaccinations 20 years ago are reliably protected from infection with this infection. As a prophylaxis with direct contact with a sick person, vaccination is used. The vaccine must be delivered within 4 days from the date of contact. Moreover, all relatives and close people are under the close supervision of physicians, because they could catch an infection at any time.
After vaccination, a small wound forms in this place, it contains a live, active virus, which means that tactile contact can lead to the spread of the rash throughout the body, as well as infection of another person. To avoid such consequences, you should wash your hands thoroughly both for the person who received the vaccine and for the entire environment.
According to theoretical data, this disease is not inherited, that is, a pregnant woman infected with smallpox can endure a baby. But in practice this is very difficult to achieve, because the general condition of the expectant mother is such that she will not be able to withstand the birth process itself. The last case of blackpox infection was observed in 1977, after which it was possible to get rid of the virus forever.
Blackpox is a disease that modern doctors could not cure. All medicine is good at is maintaining the general condition of the patient with antibiotics. Thus, only the symptoms are eliminated, but not the virus itself. However, this disease was completely eradicated due to widespread vaccination, so there is no reason to fear its re-occurrence.