What is smallpox?
To put it in a few words, the scourge of the Inca and the Aztecs.
More in detail, an infectious decease that is caused by two virus variants. Variola major and Variola minor. What it does? The first symptoms are high fevers, and vomits. It is then followed by the apparition of sores in the mouth, and skin rash.
Over a number of days the skin rash turns into characteristic fluid filled bumps with a dent in the centre. The bumps then scabbed over and leaves scars.
Complications might lead to blindness, scars on the skin, and on 30% of cases, death.
Another more deadly variant, known as the black smallpox, caused internal haemorrhage and gastrointestinal tract. This form is always lethal. Luckily it only concerned 2% of cases.
The first recorded case of smallpox was back in ancient Egypt. Ever since it has been a pain in the ** for us humans, up until 1977 when the last natural case of smallpox is recorded.
As many probably remember, Smallpox was considered eradicated in the 9th of December 1979.
Only two places in the world still contain living samples of smallpox. One in the USA, the other in Russia.
Only 3 hours ago, Vektor's bacteriological and virological research centre, an old soviet bacteriological weapon facility, and you guessed it, one of the two only places on earth containing samples of smallpox, suffered an explosion and has caught fire.
Of course the Russian government affirms that there is nothing to fear. Except that if history has told us anything, is that Russians have the tendency of playing with the truth.
Chances are that they are right, after all it seems as if the fire was quickly contained, or so they say. And Smallpox is not something that can survive a fire. Nevertheless, something tells me that we are about to see the return of this old foe, so better start preparing for it.
To put it in a few words, the scourge of the Inca and the Aztecs.
More in detail, an infectious decease that is caused by two virus variants. Variola major and Variola minor. What it does? The first symptoms are high fevers, and vomits. It is then followed by the apparition of sores in the mouth, and skin rash.
Over a number of days the skin rash turns into characteristic fluid filled bumps with a dent in the centre. The bumps then scabbed over and leaves scars.
Complications might lead to blindness, scars on the skin, and on 30% of cases, death.
Another more deadly variant, known as the black smallpox, caused internal haemorrhage and gastrointestinal tract. This form is always lethal. Luckily it only concerned 2% of cases.
The first recorded case of smallpox was back in ancient Egypt. Ever since it has been a pain in the ** for us humans, up until 1977 when the last natural case of smallpox is recorded.
As many probably remember, Smallpox was considered eradicated in the 9th of December 1979.
Only two places in the world still contain living samples of smallpox. One in the USA, the other in Russia.
Only 3 hours ago, Vektor's bacteriological and virological research centre, an old soviet bacteriological weapon facility, and you guessed it, one of the two only places on earth containing samples of smallpox, suffered an explosion and has caught fire.
Of course the Russian government affirms that there is nothing to fear. Except that if history has told us anything, is that Russians have the tendency of playing with the truth.
Chances are that they are right, after all it seems as if the fire was quickly contained, or so they say. And Smallpox is not something that can survive a fire. Nevertheless, something tells me that we are about to see the return of this old foe, so better start preparing for it.
