Small Pox What is Smallpox? Small pox is a highly contagious infection caused by a virus called Variola. Variola is a member of Orthopoxvirus family. The last known non-laboratory case of smallpox occurred in 1977 in Somalia and signaled the end of a successful worldwide, decade-long effort to eradicate the infection from the globe. These reports that, prior to the demise of the Soviet Union, smallpox was being developed by that government laboratories in recent years …showed first 75 words of 590 total…

…showed last 75 words of 590 total…vaccination. In 1798 Edward Jenner reported that inoculation with cowpox (Vaccinia) protected people from smallpox. The only vaccination available is a live vaccinia virus vaccine. That virus is very similar to smallpox virus (variola) the current vaccine is inoculated into the deltoid area using a bifurcated needle with a series of jobs, which forces a drop of the materials beneath the epidermis. Successful vaccination is evident by the development of a particular lesion at the site.