Variola

Variola or smallpox is one the most dangerous diseases that is not only communicable but can also be fatal. Variola virus is the major reason for the occurrence of this disease. In the absence of any permanent treatment method, only vaccination is the single effective option to prevent variola. Sometimes symptoms of variola may match with those of chickenpox, but the former has some other apparent characteristics that make it distinct from the latter. Variola is no more a threat for present generation because the disease has been completely eliminated through intense vaccination campaign throughout the world. However, the virus has been stored so that deeper research could be done on it.

Symptoms

It takes at least a fortnight for variola symptoms of variola to become evident after an individual gets infected by the virus. The person may feel tired and severe pain in the head followed by feverish condition as it generally happens when one is affected by flu. Then pustules come out and spread in the body rapidly. Hence, the infected person is usually kept away from other people so that the disease may not spread. Among the few types of variola, variola major is the deadliest one and has claimed large number of lives. On the other hand, variola minor is a milder type of variola but it too can be fatal. Flat-type variola and hemorrhagic variola are two more types of variola and are very dangerous but occur rarely.

Causes

The respiratory tract is the entryway for variola virus to get in and then they develop in mucosae. Soon the virus diffuses to lymph glands where they ramify vigorously. The final destination of the virus is bloodstream. Now, all the signs of variola will start becoming apparent. The virus is so dangerous that it even intrudes on the heart and kidney.

Transmission

Being a contagious disease, variola virus quickly transmits in people who come in contact with the infected person. Even mere talking or coughing is enough to carry virus from infected person to healthy one. Similarly, sharing clothes, bed sheets and towels can also spread variola. Since the virus takes some time to brood, the disease does not look threatening during initial stage as its symptoms appear in only few people but after a fortnight, it outbreaks like anything and envelop a big chunk of people.

Diagnosis

Although there is rare or no chance of occurrence of variola presently but if any sign or symptom confirms the disease during diagnosis, the patient’s family as well as the doctor should promptly inform about this to the higher authorities so that significant preventive measures could be taken to curb its dissemination. Normally, the visible symptoms are adequate for the doctor to declare that a particular individual is suffering from variola but to reconfirm it and ensure that it is not chickenpox or any other disease, laboratory test can also be done.

Treatment

As is evident that no permanent solution has been found so far to treat variola completely, however the doctor can give some oral medicines including antibiotics to ensure that no other bacteria or virus could infect the patient. Although vaccination keeps variola at bay but if it is delayed or given after four days of infection or if the symptoms of variola appear on an individual’s body, then it is not possible to prevent the virus from spreading rapidly. The doctor advises to not let the infected person to meet with other people so that the diffusion of the virus could be checked but this preventive measure does not eliminate the problem completely.

Prevention

Vaccination is the only preventive method to avoid variola but for how long does it fulfill its job is no known. In addition, vaccination cannot be given to those who are pregnant, having some serious skin disease, already having cardiac problems and suffering from diseases like AIDS and diabetes.