Smallpox
Scott M. Jackson in Skin Disease and the History of Dermatology, 2023
Following leprosy, plague, and syphilis, smallpox is the last of the four major historical diseases with dermatologic implications to be discussed, and it was the deadliest and most dreadful of them all. Unlike the three previously described infections, which were caused by bacteria, smallpox is caused by a virus, that lifeless matter consisting of genetic material surrounded by protein that hijacks living cells to clone and disperse itself. The viruses responsible for smallpox are relatively large and known as Variola major and Variola minor and belong to the orthopoxvirus genus of DNA viruses that also includes cowpox. Variola minor was responsible for a less common and less deadly form of smallpox known as alastrim; our attention is focused on Variola major.
Potential Bioterrorism Concerns
Joseph R. Masci, Elizabeth Bass in Ebola, 2017
If used in a biological attack, Ebola virus would require direct person-to-person physical contact, unlike smallpox, plague, or anthrax. Both smallpox and inhalational anthrax are transmitted primarily through the respiratory tract by aerosol droplets. Plague, in its inhalational form, is transmitted in a similar fashion and is also transmissible by the bite of an infected flea. Both smallpox and plague carry the risk of person-to-person transmission. Transmission by the respiratory tract has not been documented with Ebola virus. Nonetheless, even limited to direct person-to-person transmission, Ebola virus would pose the risk of great lethality, and challenges in providing medical resources to treat large numbers of patients while protecting health care workers from infection. Any of these putative agents of bioterrorism, if released, would cause great public anxiety and likely panic, with the attendant overwhelming demand placed on health care services and emergency response systems.
Catalog of Herbs
James A. Duke in Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
Reported to be abortifacient, amebicide, anodyne, bactericide, contraceptive, diuretic, emmenagogue, fungicide, narcotic, pediculicide, poison, sedative, spasmolytic, tonic, ashwagandha is a folk remedy for adenopathy, anthrax, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, candida, cold, cough, cystitis, debility, diarrhea, dropsy, dyspepsia, erysipelas, fever, furuncle, gynecopathy, hiccups, hypertension, inflammation, lumbago, marasmus, nausea, piles, proctitis, psoriasis, rheumatism, ringworm, scabies, senility, smallpox, sores, syphilis, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, uterosis, and wounds.3,32,33 Steeped in warm castor oil, the leaves are applied to carbuncles, inflammations, and swellings.2 Bruised berries are rubbed onto ringworm.1 Lesotho natives take the root decoction for colds and chills. The bark infusion is taken for asthma and applied topically to bedsores. Zulu give an enema of decorticated root to feverish infants. Tanganyikans use the root as a sexual stimulant and ecbolic. Masai use the leaf juice for conjunctivitis. Alcoholic preparations of the plant have been used in alcoholism, emphysema, and pulmonary tuberculosis.
The roles of epidermal growth factor receptor in viral infections
Published in Growth Factors, 2022
Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the prototype of family Poxviridae. It is a large, enveloped virus with linear, double stranded DNA genome that is closely related to variola virus (VARV), the causative pathogen of smallpox disease. VACV was employed as smallpox vaccine for the eradication of the disease. Several members of family Poxviridae, including VACV and VARV encode homologs of cellular EGF and TGFα (Smith 2008). Previous studies have revealed that treatment of EGFR inhibitors, gefitinib and 324674 blocked the uptake of the two distinct forms of VACV infectious particles, mature virion (MVs) and extracellular virions (EVs) into HeLa cells. This suggested that VACV utilises vaccinia growth factor (VGF) to stimulate EGFR and its downstream signalling cascade involving P21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) and actin dynamics to facilitate the macropinocytosis of virions (Figure 2(k)). However, CHO cells that lack of EGFR are susceptible to VACV infection, indicating EGFR mediates macropinocytosis of VACV in a cell-type-specific manner (Mercer et al. 2010; Schmidt et al. 2011).
Comparative evaluation of the clinical presentation and epidemiology of the 2022 and previous Mpox outbreaks: a rapid review and meta-analysis
Published in Infectious Diseases, 2023
George N. Okoli, Paul Van Caeseele, Nicole Askin, Ahmed M. Abou-Setta
Mpox has an estimated incubation period ranging from 5 to 21 d [12], with symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks [13], during which an infected person can transmit disease. Some may be infected, but have no symptoms. The estimated mean serial interval for Mpox (the time from illness onset in a primary case to illness onset in the secondary case) is 9.8 d, ranging from 5.9 to 21.4 d [14], with the longest chain of transmission in a community during the 2022 outbreaks estimated to be 6 to 9 successive person-to-person infections [12]. The clinical presentation of typical disease includes fever, characteristic rash, swollen lymph nodes, and, occasionally, varied medical complications [15], similar to those of smallpox, a related Orthopoxvirus infection eradicated globally in the early 1980s. Fortunately, monkeypox virus infection is less contagious than small pox, causes less severe illness, and, although it can also cause severe illness, it is usually self-limiting [12]. Three clades of the monkeypox virus are recognised; Clade I, which is transmitted by rodents and is estimated to cause more severe disease and higher mortality (causes up to 10% mortality) among humans when compared with other clades, but with little human-to-human spread; clade IIa, which is also zoonotic, but has a low mortality among humans; and clade IIb, which has been spreading globally via human transmission and appears responsible for the 2022 outbreaks [16]. Nevertheless, based on the previous outbreaks, Mpox has an appreciable case fatality ratio of 3% to 6% [12].
Respiratory health in Canada before 1800
Published in Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, 2021
During the 17th and 18th centuries, health care workers moved to Canada, a rapidly expanding territory. The fighting with the Amerindians, the war between France and England, the great distances to be crossed, the harsh winter, and the multiple epidemics were responsible for many health problems. As mentioned in the book written by Rénald Lessard, Au temps de la petite vérole, (At the time of smallpox), cases of asthma, angina (sore throat), catarrh, influenza, influenza, colds, and empyema were often reported.9 Frequent pneumonia, or para-pneumonia and pleurisy were also noted, as were esquinancies (sore throat) and chest pains. In 1708, moreover, pleurisy brought a large number of patients to the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, the first hospital in North America.8,10 Other pulmonary diseases were called pulmonia, pulmonary disease, chest exhaustion, stomach cold, and pulmonary disease. Pneumonia is especially mentioned from the second half of the 18th century. Gaultier also reported scrofula (cutaneous tuberculosis), jaundice, toothache, diarrhea, rheumatism, hernias, gout and parasitic infections, toothaches, diarrheas, rhumatism, hernias, gout, and parasitic infections.9,10
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