Smallpox, The Tiny Virus that Has Molded Human History

Since man began living together in agricultural settlements some 12.000 years ago until modern times, a tiny virus only 302–350 nanometers by 244 to 270 nanometers in size has shaped and reshaped our history. An equal opportunity killer made of only a single strand of DNA, the Variola virus has murdered billions.

Now, as of January 2019, this plague of humankind has seemingly been eradicated thanks to a worldwide effort of vaccination. How did this tiny virus become man’s number one enemy, how did we tame it, and what lies in the future for this killer?

That’s what we shall examine together in this article.

The Disease Called Smallpox

Smallpox is a highly contagious, disfiguring and deadly disease that has no cure or treatment.

The disease is spread through droplets spread into the air by infected individuals as they cough, sneeze and speak. Dangerously, there are no symptoms after contraction of smallpox, during its incubation stage of ten to seventeen days. During this stage, a person can unwittingly infect hundreds of people perpetuating the problem.

After the end of the incubation stage, a person infected with smallpox will experience the sudden onset of flu-like symptoms including:

· Fever

· Discomfort

· Headache