Is there a cure for smallpox?

Smallpox was eradicated in 1979. Discover the symptoms and risks of this infectious disease and whether Canada would be ready if it somehow ever returned.

Smallpox is a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus. Until recently, the last identified case was in 1977 and was subsequently declared eradicated in 1979 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Smallpox was spread mainly by air, so anyone who had been in the presence of an infected person could catch it. The virus can also be spread by objects that have been touched by an infected person, including bedding.

The incubation period is about two weeks. An infected person was contagious from the first sign of symptoms until the last blister had dried up and fallen away.

Smallpox produced a high fever and large blisters all over the body, including the face. It lasted about two weeks; one in three cases was fatal if no vaccine or antibiotic was administered.

If another outbreak occurs, will Canadians survive it? The answer is yes. Canada and several other countries have stockpiled reserves of smallpox vaccines. This means that should the disease somehow recur, it would be possible to quickly treat the population at risk.

The vaccine should only be given to persons who are infected or have been in contact with an infected person, as the vaccine poses its own health risks.Though no longer administered preventatively since its eradication; the vaccine serves as a treatment to effectively reduce the symptoms and hazards associated with the disease.

What are the risks of a smallpox outbreak?

With no naturally occurring case since 1977, the biggest risk is that it could be used as a biological weapon. Only two laboratories in the world, in the United States and Russia, are known to have strains for research purposes, but there is no way of knowing if all laboratories have destroyed their samples.In July 2014, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered more than one vial of smallpox in a Washington area lab. The virus strain is said to date back 50 years and was scheduled to be destroyed after discovery.