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SMALLPOX

January/February 2003     ISSN-1059-6518     Volume 16 Number 1

Tales of the Tapeworm

By Dr. E.C. Oli

SMALLPOX

Variola

In this edition of “Tales of the Tapeworm” it would seem to be most appropriate  to discuss smallpox virus, since it has been getting a great deal of press recently.

Smallpox, also known as Variola, is of the genus orthopoxvirus. This virus can cause an acute exanthematous viral infection.  (An exanthem is a contagious infection that has a rash as a primary symptom.) The last know case was in Merka, Somalia in October 1977. available domain name generator Smallpox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 1980.

The World Health Organization coordinated a worldwide program to eradicate smallpox from 1967–1980.  This was accomplished by an intensive vaccination program to immunize everyone for the smallpox virus. Prior to 1967 smallpox was very common; it is estimated that there were 10–15 million cases of smallpox in 1967 alone.

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