These skin lesions were preceded by symptoms of abrupt high fever, aching, and vomiting. The lesions started at the mouth and face, then moved to the arms, hands, and rest of the body over a week. The palms and soles are affected, and the lesions are all about the same size. In the most common type of this disease, these skin lesions will fill up with pus and either remain discrete or merge together into sheets.
Challenge: Why is this disease notable?
Image is in the public domain.
Posts
2 comments:
Only infectious disease eradicated by humankind.
Something You Won't See
This is the presentation of smallpox, caused by the Variola major (and minor) viruses. It is highly contagious with a high mortality rate, depending on the form of the disease (discrete ordinary smallpox, confluent ordinary smallpox, or hemorrhagic smallpox). Chickenpox and smallpox can be differentiated in that chickenpox does not affect the palms and soles and the pustules are of varying size. Smallpox is the first (and only) disease to be completely eradicated due to the success of Edward Jenner's vaccine. Vaccines are no longer done, and as a result, there is a fear of smallpox being used as a bioterrorism agent.
Source: Wikipedia, AccessMedicine (CurrentConsult).
Post a Comment