Smallpox - symptoms, treatment and prevention. Smallpox: causes, signs, symptoms and treatment of smallpox

Every person experiences various infectious diseases more than once throughout their life. Some of them proceed quite violently, leaving marks on the body, otherwise called pockmarks. They not only create pronounced cosmetic defects, but can also serve as sources of secondary infection. Currently, doctors regularly encounter many such ailments and try to inform the population about both newly emerging and long-gone diseases. To know which doctor to contact in a given situation, you must monitor your health and note all the symptoms.

What is smallpox

Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by various groups viruses, which is characterized by the formation of rash elements on the skin, as well as symptoms of fever: fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, enlarged lymph nodes. Almost every person on earth has encountered this disease in a milder or more severe form.

Every year, from five to twelve thousand people around the globe fall ill with various types of smallpox. More than half of them cannot receive the optimal course of treatment, and three percent die from complications that develop.

White and black smallpox

Otherwise, this disease is also called smallpox, which in the Middle Ages claimed a significant part of the population of European and Asian countries. Since the twenties of the last century, the World Health Organization has developed a whole range of measures aimed at preventing infection. This led to a complete decrease in incidence. Currently, the smallpox virus exists only in bacteriological laboratories in a number of countries and can be used as a weapon of mass destruction.

The causative agent of smallpox is resistant to environmental influences

Variole poxvirus causes two types of disease: smallpox and white pox. The latter is characterized by a weaker course, less mortality and severity clinical picture. The virus enters the human body through the skin or respiratory system, multiplies in the lymph nodes and migrates throughout the body, contributing to the formation of rash elements on the surface of the body. Patients quite often die from infectious-toxic shock - a serious illness during which the activity of the kidneys, liver, of cardio-vascular system and respiratory organs. The older a person is and the more he has chronic diseases, the lower the likelihood of a successful outcome.

Video: scientists’ opinion on the possibility of the return of smallpox

This disease is characteristic primarily of Western and Central Africa, where such animals are widespread. Previously it was believed that diseases were not transmitted from humans to monkeys, but latest research proved: this is not so. The genetic structure of humans and primates is very similar, which makes us also vulnerable to this virus.

Those most at risk of infection are zookeepers, indigenous people of the tropics, veterinarians and tourists. In recent years, cases of importation of monkeypox virus from the Republic of Congo have become more frequent.

The causative agent of this disease tolerates both high and low temperatures quite well, which allows it long time persist in the animal's blood. A person becomes infected by inhaling hair and dust from monkeys. The disease is characterized by an enlargement of all lymph nodes and their severe pain when touched, as well as a pronounced intoxication syndrome in the form of severe dehydration, fever, headache and terrible weakness. Most often, children between the ages of two and ten years die from monkeypox, who have too weak an immune system and were not vaccinated before traveling.

Chickenpox is a well-known childhood disease that most people contract at an early age. It is caused by a virus called Varicella Zoster and is significantly different from other diseases. Only humans can get chickenpox; they are also the main source and carrier of the microbe among others. Outbreaks in kindergartens, schools, technical schools and even universities are typical. Unfortunately, immunity after an illness may not be stable: in recent years, doctors have increasingly recorded cases of re-spread of the pathogen in people who were ill at the age of 7–10 years.

The chickenpox virus has two shells: outer and inner

Infection occurs through contact with a sick person. Varicella Zoster enters the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity with the air flow, where it actively begins to multiply, affecting cells and tissues. The pathogen then enters the bloodstream and lymphatic system, from where it is transferred to the surface of the skin. This is accompanied by the appearance of rashes of various nature, which constantly itch and itch, and also cause severe discomfort to the patient. Unlike other forms of smallpox, chickenpox causes virtually no serious complications and goes away quite easily. childhood. In adults, the disease can provoke unpleasant consequences in the form of damage to the immune system.

This disease is quite common among people who have close contact with cattle. These include milkmaids, farmers, shepherds, and veterinarians. To everyone’s surprise, domestic cats, which are in close contact with humans and can be carriers of the microorganism, also spread the disease. The disease occurs in agricultural areas of the Russian Federation and other countries, especially in temperate climates.

Indoor cats that do not go outside for a year are practically not susceptible to infection unless they have been exposed to other mammals.

The causative agent of cowpox is less toxic than blackpox

The Coupox virus enters the human body through small wounds, scratches or bites. It begins to actively multiply at the site of penetration, due to which the human body becomes covered with a rash. In its course and external manifestations, the disease strongly resembles smallpox, but with less dangerous complications and a lighter current. The virus itself is unstable in the environment and quickly dies under the influence of high temperatures, frost, disinfectants and ultraviolet radiation.

Why does the disease occur and how does it spread?

The main causes that cause diseases from the smallpox group are various viruses. However, not every organism is susceptible to the development of such a disease: this largely depends on its internal characteristics (age, gender, presence of chronic diseases) and environmental influences.

After suffering from chickenpox, the majority of the population develops a strong immunity, which prevents re-infection. However, in his practice, the author of this article personally encountered a boy who had chickenpox several times during his life. He first fell ill at the age of 5 in kindergarten with fairly typical symptoms and a rash, after which he safely rested at home for a month and went back to classes. A few years after this incident, his parents discovered strange spots on the baby’s body, vaguely reminiscent of forgotten disease. After a visit to the infectious diseases hospital, the diagnosis was confirmed. Ten years later, as a young man before being drafted into the army, he was diagnosed with chickenpox for the third time.

What contributes to the body's increased sensitivity to smallpox:

• old and early childhood;
• tendency to respiratory viral diseases;
• female;
• diabetes mellitus, gout, atherosclerosis, hypertonic disease, cardiac ischemia;
• work in hazardous and harmful chemical production;
• primary and secondary immune deficiencies;
• endocrinopathies;
• living in environmentally unfavorable areas;
• congenital developmental anomalies;
• malignant and benign neoplasms;
• undergone radiation and chemotherapy;
• anemia and hemophilia;
• close contact with farm animals;
• History of HIV, tuberculosis, syphilis.

Main routes of disease transmission:

1. Airborne. A pathogenic virus exhaled by people or animals dissolves in the environment, after which it is transferred with vapors and tiny droplets to an uninfected body. This is how chickenpox is transmitted black pox and monkey disease.
2. The contact path is realized through direct contact with the victim or his things. This could be dishes, personal hygiene products, clothes and shoes, even books and writing utensils. This is why doctors strongly recommend stopping using general subjects for the entire period of treatment. This mechanism serves as the leading one in the spread of smallpox and cowpox.
3. The monkey disease is transmitted through a bite or contact of an animal's saliva with a wound on the body. In this form, the disease develops quite quickly, since the virus immediately enters the bloodstream and intensively migrates throughout the body.
4. The food route of infection practically does not occur in smallpox diseases. It usually occurs when eating raw and undercooked meat from domestic and wild animals.

Clinical picture of the disease

Smallpox, like any other disease besides local symptoms has pronounced common features. They are associated with the involvement of all parts of the body in the infectious-inflammatory process, as well as the reaction of the immune system to the introduction of a foreign agent. The local symptoms of each disease have specific features, which allows a quick differential diagnosis between forms of the disease.

Smallpox does not occur in nature at present, but information about its manifestations is available in many sources of medical literature.

Common symptoms include:

• temperature rise to 39–40 degrees;
• nausea and vomiting unrelated to meals;
• headaches and dizziness;
• increased sweating and chills;
• enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes and their severe pain;
• lethargy, drowsiness, constant fatigue;
• sleep disorders (insomnia, frequent awakenings);
• extreme thirst;
• weight loss;
• confusion;
• shortness of breath and respiratory arrest;
• increase in heart rate.

Local manifestations of smallpox:

• the formation of rashes of various types on the surface of the body;
• intense skin itching, aggravated by touch and exposure to water;
• the formation of crusts, scars and scabs at the site of the rash;
• severe pain and swelling of soft tissues.

Photo gallery: manifestations of smallpox diseases

With chickenpox, the rash has a reddish tint Smallpox covers the entire body and face Cowpox is characterized by large rashes on the face Africans are more likely to suffer from monkeypox

Table: characteristics of the rash in various forms of smallpox

Diagnosis methods

In order to distinguish all types of diseases from each other and other skin ailments, doctors use several methods at once. The first step in making a diagnosis is an examination and conversation with the patient. He is asked to undress down to his underwear, carefully examining his palms, feet and scalp head, as well as buttocks and groin area. In some cases, the rash is not noticeable at first glance. At the same time, the doctor asks the victim about the time of onset of typical symptoms, travel to African countries and contact with wild or domestic animals. Based on the data obtained, we can draw a conclusion about the cause of the development of the disease and even suspect its form.

General tests

To obtain information about the human body as a whole and determine priority areas of treatment, it is necessary to use laboratory research techniques. For this patient in morning time asked to donate stool and blood. Results are usually obtained within a few days, allowing specific therapy to begin.

Skin scraping with microscopy

Since after a few weeks of illness the virus practically ceases to be released into the blood, the contents of a smallpox vesicle or crusts are used to confirm the diagnosis. Using a thin and very sharp scalpel, the doctor removes a small amount of epidermal particles into two different tubes and squeezes out the contents of the vial.

The scraping procedure is slightly painful and brings discomfort to the patient

Typically, material for analysis is taken from inconspicuous surfaces of the body: palms, soles. The skin there is especially thick and is practically not injured during the procedure.

Next, the contents of the rash and areas of the epidermis are carefully examined by a doctor under a microscope. This allows you to determine the type of disease and prescribe a specific antiviral drug that promotes the rapid death of the smallpox pathogen.

Various treatment options for diseases

For the treatment of smallpox, an integrated approach is traditionally used: a combination of methods of different effectiveness, which together provide the best option. Over the years of his studies, the author of this article has repeatedly encountered the consequences of self-medication of patients. Often, many of them forget to take medications on time or attend physical therapy sessions. Therapeutic diet and giving up alcohol and other bad habits are perceived with hostility by some patients. However, it is worth remembering that only compliance with all the rules and medical prescriptions will help you get rid of the disease and its consequences once and for all.

Basic principles of smallpox therapy:

• destruction of the pathogen;
• restoration of skin integrity;
• reduction of intoxication syndrome;
• normalization of acid-base and water-electrolyte balance;
• stimulation of the immune system to fight the pathogen;
• prevention of the development of purulent-septic complications and infectious-toxic shock.

Table: drug therapy for smallpox

Photo gallery: what drugs are used in treatment

Diclofenac relieves inflammation Amoxiclav prevents bacterial colonization Acyclovir kills viruses

Traditional medicine as an aid

As you know, plants and herbs have unique properties that allow as soon as possible get rid of unpleasant symptoms and manifestations of any smallpox. With the help of lotions and baths, you can carefully treat the skin both during the disease and after it to avoid scarring, and infusions and decoctions have a beneficial effect on the condition of the body as a whole.

Remember that almost all folk recipes are not recognized in official medicine. They do not affect the viral pathogen and do not prevent the development of many unpleasant complications. That is why doctors strongly do not recommend giving up conventional medications in favor of natural remedies.

Significant advantages of folk recipes:

• cheap raw materials, which in the autumn-summer time can be collected independently or purchased from private traders;
• quick and easy preparation (no special skills required);
• low number of side effects;
• Possibility of use in infants and pregnant or lactating women.

The disadvantages include:

• development of allergic reactions;
• impossibility of calculating the exact dosage of a substance;
• poor digestibility;
• high consumption of the drug;
• time spent on preparation.

The most effective recipes from smallpox:

1. Three tablespoons ground to a powder eggshells dissolve in fifty milliliters warm water. Using a cotton pad, apply the resulting mixture to the affected skin using gentle blotting movements. This will dry out the rashes as quickly as possible and make them less noticeable. It is recommended to use once or twice a day until complete recovery.
2. Place one hundred grams of calendula in a container of hot water and leave to steep for two hours. After this, soak a gauze bandage in the resulting liquid, squeeze it out and apply it to the area of ​​greatest localization of the rash. This will quickly relieve inflammation and reduce itching of the skin. Repeat for two weeks until the desired result is achieved.
3. Brew two hundred grams of cranberries in a saucepan with a liter of boiling water, then keep on low heat for another fifteen minutes. Once the mixture has cooled, drink one glass before each meal. Cranberries gently remove toxins from the body and allow you to maintain optimal water and electrolyte balance for a long time.

Photo gallery: traditional medicine recipes

Eggs contain a lot of calcium Calendula relieves inflammation Cranberry removes excess liquid well

To restore the energy spent by the body, you need to consume at least four thousand calories daily. All dishes must be boiled, stewed, baked; fried and fatty foods are strictly prohibited. During the day you need to drink at least two liters of clean still water. Proper and balanced nutrition takes into account the body’s need for proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamin and mineral complexes.

What foods should you eat:

• milk, yoghurts, cheese, kefir, cottage cheese;
• vegetables, berries and fruits;
• homemade juices and fruit drinks;
• green tea;
• porridge (buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, barley, rice);
• soups and salads;
• lean meat (chicken, turkey);
• fish (pollock, hake, pink salmon), mussels and shrimp;
• legumes and peas;
• nuts.

Photo gallery: healthy food

Cottage cheese - a source of calcium Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins Buckwheat contains a lot of protein

What you should remove from your diet once and for all:

• sparkling water and store-bought juices;
• chocolate with various additives and sweeteners;
• coffee;
• all alcoholic drinks;
• salty and spicy snacks;
• chips and crackers;
• dried fish;
• canned food

Photo gallery: forbidden food

Chips contain a lot of salt Jars of pate contain various preservatives Soda slows down your metabolism

Lifestyle during treatment of illnesses

Since any smallpox is associated with the formation of various rashes on the skin, it is necessary to follow all precautions so as not to damage them and not to introduce an infection into the wound. This is why children and the elderly must be handled by strangers. During the treatment of smallpox, you will have to give up many habits.
How to protect yourself and your loved ones from complications:

1. Before treating your skin, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water at least twice. You can also spray a small amount of antiseptic solution on your palm.
2. Use disposable wipes, gauze and cotton pads to prevent further spread of infection and avoid injury to the skin.
3. Do not visit baths or saunas while treating an illness: this causes sores on the skin to become soaked and the contents to leak into the environment.
4. Under no circumstances use hard sponges or brushes for washing, and do not scratch the area where the rash is located. Traumatization of the skin contributes to the further progression of the disease.
5. Visiting swimming pools is also prohibited: a large amount of bleach, which is dissolved in water, dries out pockmarks. They begin to crack, and purulent masses reach the surface.

Treatment prognosis and possible complications of smallpox

Smallpox is fatal in most cases. Surviving patients have serious complications from all organs and systems and are recognized as disabled for life. Cow and monkey pox have a much lower mortality rate: only about 0.5% of all patients die from toxic shock and the development of secondary infection. Scars on the body and face are less pronounced and deep. Chickenpox in childhood occurs and is cured extremely quickly. Scars are formed only when the scabs are deliberately removed.

In his practice, the author of this article has more than once encountered manifestations of chickenpox in adults: they get sick much more severely, with inflammation of the lungs and membranes of the brain. That is why it is necessary to treat them only in a hospital.

Complications of various types of smallpox include:

• development of rough potholes and deforming scars;
• phlegmon and abscesses of soft tissues;
• erysipelas;
• cardiovascular, bronchopulmonary, hepatic-renal failure;
• infectious-toxic shock;
• septic phenomena;
• inflammation of the eyeball, leading to blindness;
• inflammatory damage to the membranes of the brain and spinal cord;
• death.

Photo gallery: people after smallpox

Preventive actions

Smallpox is an extremely contagious disease that, due to the huge number of transmission routes, can affect anyone, regardless of gender or age. In order to be exposed to the harmful effects of the environment as little as possible, you need to monitor your health every day and, if possible, strengthen your immune system.

All preventive measures that are not related to a direct effect on the virus are called nonspecific.

To prevent smallpox infection you must:

• avoid contact with sick people and isolate them as much as possible from the team and family members;
• engage in physical activity regularly: sport strengthens the body and prevents the development of many infectious diseases;
• give up bad habits, as alcohol and nicotine slow down metabolic processes in the human body;
• be regularly examined for the development of chronic diseases and treat them;
• take medications only as prescribed by a doctor, without exceeding the indicated dosages (excess antibiotics can cause a weakened immune system).

Smallpox vaccination

Specific preventive measures include vaccinations. The vaccine is a suspension of killed and neutralized microorganisms, which, when they enter the human body, do not cause the development of the disease, but greatly facilitate its course. Currently, vaccination is being carried out to prevent the formation of chickenpox in children and adults. The drugs Varilrix and Okavax are used.

In his practical activities, the author of this article has more than once encountered the fact that it was vaccination that helped a person avoid unpleasant consequences illness. For example, a patient who was vaccinated for the first time at the age of twenty-five experienced chickenpox much easier than another patient of the same age who deliberately skipped this step. It has been scientifically proven that vaccination contributes to the formation strong immunity, which will allow you to avoid unpleasant consequences.

In Russia, only two drugs are used for vaccination against chickenpox

The vaccine is given to children under two years of age who have never had the disease, as well as to others. Up to thirteen years of age, the vaccine is given once, and for all persons older - twice with an interval of seven to ten weeks. The drug is injected using a special needle into outer part shoulder, and the wound heals within a week.

Until 1976–1983, the Soviet Union was vaccinated against smallpox, which left many people of that generation with a scar on their shoulder. Since this disease was overcome through mass vaccination, it became irrelevant.

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A known disease that leaves scars all over the body, in modern world practically destroyed. At the end of the last century, the World Health Organization announced the complete victory over smallpox. This result was achieved through the use of mass vaccination. The last case of infection with smallpox with typical symptoms was identified in the seventies of the twentieth century. The only reason for the incomplete disappearance of the source of the disease is that the pathogens are preserved in two scientific laboratories. But today another infection remains widespread, which is also called smallpox and has symptoms similar to natural ones. This is chickenpox.

Smallpox is a dangerous infection

To understand the nature of childhood chickenpox, which is very similar to smallpox, and what caused the disease, which was terrible for humanity in the past, we need to consider the characteristics of their pathogens. Infection with smallpox is caused by microorganisms that have a DNA structure and are antigens of human red blood cells. This explains the absolute susceptibility of the human body and the weak resistance of the immune system.

During the years of epidemics, the Variola major virus led to 90% of deaths among patients, and Variola minor killed about 3 percent of people. It is known that preliminary observations of owners of domestic large cattle and horses, made it possible to discover human resistance to smallpox after transmission of a similar virus from animals. Also, variolation, that is, lightly inoculating the rash composition into healthy people, has had some effectiveness. These were the first steps towards developing the most effective and life-saving vaccines against smallpox with dangerous symptoms.

How to recognize and prevent smallpox

Signs of an acute stage of infection include the following types of ailments:

• intoxication - in high degree strong reaction to viral toxins;
• rashes - on mucous membranes and most of the surface of the skin;
• fever – against the background of a very high temperature, which is difficult to reduce with simple means;
• muscle and neurological pain;
• dizziness and general weakness.

At the stage of the latent period, a person is completely unaware of his illness, but at this time he can infect many people around him. This is also facilitated by the simple airborne method of transmission of pathogens. This is what caused the emergence of outbreaks of mass disease and a large number of deaths.

The consequences of smallpox have their own unchanging characteristics, by which the right person was previously identified.

These are signs such as:

• pockmarks are scars on the face and body that cover almost the entire skin. Such scars appear in any case, since during the development of the rash, the deep layers of the epidermis are damaged, which, upon healing, are not restored to their normal form, being filled with connective tissue;
• visual impairment – ​​complete or partial loss of visual acuity after recovery;
• diseases of internal organs and skin - due to complications of current infection.

Incubation of the virus in tissue cells is 1-2 weeks, after which the patient becomes infectious to others. Moreover, unlike chickenpox, the resistance of the microorganism Variola to external factors is much higher. For example, it does not die in the fresh air and withstands the drying process and low temperatures. Therefore, there was always a threat of smallpox spreading even after the death of the sick person. But if a person survived, then he ceased to be a carrier of infection after the last scab fell off.

At the same time, there are ways to destroy pathogens. There is even common sense in carrying out preventive measures acceptance at the site of the lesion. This is boiling the linen and dishes used by the patient. After all, at 70-100 C the virus dies within 1-5 minutes. The influence of alcohol and acids also negatively affects it and leads to disinfection of surfaces after half an hour of treatment. When exposed to ultraviolet light, this result occurs after six hours.

The difficulty of preventive measures lies in the impossibility of diagnosing signs of infection in some cases. This is the so-called atypical form of the disease, when the main symptoms of smallpox do not fully manifest themselves, and the person is a full-fledged source of infection.

The contagious Variola virus is especially dangerous for any person (just like the causative agent of chickenpox), regardless of age and gender, as it is highly (almost 100%) contagious. But observations show that the most common cases of the disease occur in children aged 2 to 5 years.

Once on the surface of the mucous membranes in the mouth or nasopharynx when a person inhales air, negative microorganisms penetrate the epithelial cells.

The further picture of the development of the pathogen is as follows:

• absorption into the lymphatic system and activation of activity;
• reproduction and increase in the number of agents in epithelial cells;
• release from the lymph nodes and into the bloodstream;
• distribution by internal organs and fixation in the epidermis.

At the stage of the appearance of rashes, we can say that the disease is already progressing. Smallpox, the symptoms of which appear on the skin, at the beginning of the disease reduces the immune system so much that the person begins to feel a loss of strength and ceases to resist other possible infections. This course often leads to toxic shock against the background of febrile attacks.

When an additional infection occurs, when pyogenic bacteria of streptococcus or staphylococcus enter the affected areas of the skin, the wounds suppurate and new already infected blisters form. In this case, turbid contents can be observed in the pustules, often with bloody inclusions. Their presence indicates development hemorrhagic form smallpox, which is associated with bleeding of mucous membranes (especially in the mouth), as well as areas of skin rash.

We can firmly say that it is bacterial infection of skin cells that leads to the appearance of scars after recovery. After all, only inflammatory processes in the structure skin surface lead to the destruction of healthy tissues of the germ layer of the epidermis. With effective treatment and prevention secondary diseases associated with the introduction of bacteria, smallpox rashes disappear without consequences. A rash also forms with chickenpox.

Typical smallpox is characterized by the appearance of the first symptoms within 10-12 days from the moment the viruses enter the body. The person begins to feel unwell in the form of chills and body aches. Gradually, his temperature rises to 37-38 C. If the elements of the rash are filled with purulent contents, then the patient experiences a fever with a temperature of up to 41 C. At the same time, he begins to become delirious and lose consciousness. Children's smallpox at this stage is characterized by the appearance of seizures.

On the first day after the incubation period, the infection manifests itself in severe intoxication.

In this case, physical manifestations such as:

• sharp muscle pain in the limbs and lower back;
• pain in the joints and sacrum;
• nausea, vomiting, dizziness.

Due to high temperature, dehydration occurs and normal metabolism decreases, which inhibits the response of the protective function of the immune system. Therefore, the patient should be given as much water as possible during the initial detection of smallpox based on similar symptoms. The same applies to chickenpox in a child.

Parents of small children need to know that any infection of a viral nature requires great strength from the body to effective fight with a pathogen. Accordingly, it is necessary to comply with the mandatory water balance in tissues. This can be done by drink plenty of fluids any liquids, containing many vitamins:

• compotes, herbal teas;
• juices from fresh fruits and vegetables;
• milk in different types.

Among the observed patients from certain lesions, there was a small percentage of infected people who did not feel the onset of the disease so vividly and severely, having gone through the main stages of smallpox in a mild form.

When 3-4 days of smallpox occur, foci of the rash form in their original form. That is, those when the doctor can accurately establish the diagnosis by the appearance of the formed elements on the skin. There are two types of rash. The first are morbilliform, roseolous or erythematous persistent hemorrhages on the surface of the skin. This occurs in a typical form of infection.

The second type is hemorrhagic manifestations in certain places of the body: from the armpits to the chest, as well as on inside hips and groin area. The size of pink or reddish spots without seals and tips can vary from small to large (about 3 mm in diameter). After a few hours, such spots move into the next stage of development.

The formation of papules, vesicles and crusts from the fourth day of illness occurs under a general decline in the severity of symptoms. But pimples continue to appear on clean areas of the head, face, arms, and torso. In the end, the person is completely covered with living pockmarks.

In addition, the rash also affects mucous surfaces. On the epithelium in the oral cavity, larynx, nose, and later the trachea, erythema appears, and then papules, turning into vesicles without the formation of crusts. After their healing, erosions remain on the epithelium. The spread of bubbles on the mucous membranes covers not only the respiratory organs, but also places like:

• conjunctival cavity of the eyes;
• inner surface of the intestine;
• female genitals;
• urethra.

Over time, periodic occurrence of elements is observed in various areas of the body, in particular on the mucous surfaces of internal organs.

A feature of pockmarks (as with chickenpox) is the consistent development that all emerging pimples undergo. Violating the surface shell of the papule by puncturing does not bring a useful result. All liquid-filled vesicles have a multi-chamber structure that can independently collapse at the stage of transformation into vesicles.

After 8-9 days of illness, repeated exacerbations of symptoms occur. Smallpox with symptoms of fever and intoxication is accompanied by new rashes with the development of encephalopathy. In this case, the patient enters a state of excitement with a parallel convulsive syndrome.

Within 1-2 weeks, the pimples dry out and crusts form, which disappear after scarring. Unsightly scars of varying depths remain on the head and face.

Particularly severe forms are characterized by the development of:

• confluent type of rash;
• hemorrhagic type of pustules;
• smallpox purpura.

Often, after an infection, a person develops some kind of complication. Among the most common are: encephalitis, meningitis, sepsis, pneumonia, keratitis and other diseases.

Like chickenpox, smallpox is the easiest to identify by symptoms due to its unique features. First of all, this is the nature of the rash. At the stage of vesicle maturation, a specialist can accurately say about the nature of the disease.

To clarify the results of observation, laboratory studies of the contents of the vesicles, as well as mucus from the surface of the epithelium, are used. The samples are viewed under an electron microscope. It is also common today to effectively prove the development of infection by analyzing the patient’s blood while the virus is incubating.

The course of treatment consists of using antiviral agents under the supervision of a doctor. The patient can be prescribed a six-day course of metisazone: 0.6 g twice a day. Anti-smallpox immunoglobulin, which is administered intramuscularly at 3-6 ml at a time, has shown some effectiveness.

Widespread damage to the skin requires mandatory antiseptic treatment measures.

It is carried out using the following drugs:

• macrolides, cephalosporins, semisynthetic penicillins;
• solutions based on crystalloids and colloids;
• diluted acetic acids and alcohol tinctures.

To relieve itching and pain The patient is prescribed courses of ultrafiltration and plasmaphoresis.

A hospitalized patient is discharged only after 40 days from the onset of the illness. Such people are examined for the results of the disease and the presence of complications. Many people lose their health due to loss of vision and become disabled.

Among vaccinated people, most experience smallpox with mild symptoms and short period recovery, and some without any symptoms at all.

Variolation was originally a way to prevent epidemics. When liquid from the patient's pustules was used and applied to the skin healthy person. This method was not widely accepted due to low efficiency and the suspicious attitude of the people. The further development of vaccines with weakened viruses found public acceptance and served as the beginning of the eradication of smallpox from the planet. Today, smallpox vaccination is not mandatory.

If you suspect smallpox, the symptoms of which are very similar to chickenpox, you should contact an infectious disease specialist to diagnose the real danger. Moreover, surrounding people who were in contact with the object must also be placed in quarantine conditions for no less than 17 days.

Not many years have passed since the mass epidemics of smallpox in terms of the survivability of viral agents in favorable conditions external environment. Therefore, there is still an active strain of the Variola virus in laboratories around the world.

Also, several years ago there were attempts to create bacterial weapons based on the smallpox pathogen. Therefore, despite the WHO announcement that smallpox has been eradicated globally, the possibility of new outbreaks of the disease cannot be completely ruled out.

Symptoms and treatment of chickenpox with folk remedies

From the article you will learn what smallpox is and what types of viruses can cause it. You will be able to familiarize yourself with historical facts about the eradication of the disease. The article will also inform you about the symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment of this terrible infection.

Smallpox

People have not been able to get rid of the smallpox virus for thousands of years. Only in 1980, the WHO (World Health Organization) announced the elimination of this virus in all corners of the planet and allowed the end of vaccination against it.

Smallpox is acute infectious disease. It can be caused by two types of virus: Variola major and Variola minor. They are also known as variola or variola vera. The names are derived from varius (“spotted”) or varus (“pimple”).

For reference! At one time, V. major caused the death of 40% of people infected with smallpox. V. minor caused light form diseases - alastrim (small / white smallpox), which killed about 1% of those infected.

Scientists suggest that the first infection of the human body with the smallpox virus occurred approximately 10 thousand years BC. Proof of this is found on the mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses V, characteristic of of this type diseases pustular rashes.

Historical facts

• At the end of the 18th century, smallpox claimed about 400 thousand human lives in Europe, including 5 ruling monarchs.
• A third of infected people became victims of blindness.
• In the 18th - 19th centuries, about 60% of adults and more than 80% of children died from infection.
• In the 20th century, smallpox caused the death of approximately 500 million people.
• In 1967, 15 million people were infected, of whom 2 million died.
• After the start of vaccination (19-20 century), only in 1979 the WHO confirmed the need for large-scale vaccinations, which led to the victory over smallpox.

Development mechanism

The virus penetrates into human body through the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose, then through the lymph nodes, in which it multiplies, enters the blood.

The spread of the virus throughout the body occurs approximately 3-4 days after infection. Its strain (genus, pure culture) penetrates Bone marrow and the spleen, where it multiplies again. But even during this period, the symptoms of the disease practically do not manifest themselves.

Note! From the moment the virus enters the body, when typical development smallpox, the incubation period is about 12 days.

After the incubation period, the virus, once again entering the blood, provokes an increase in temperature in the infected person and worsens the general state of health. A maculopapular rash appears on the patient’s skin (the rash consists of dense papules of light purple or dark burgundy color), within 2-3 days the papules fill with liquid.

Consequences

Complications that could be caused by the smallpox virus manifested themselves:

• scars on the skin, most often on the face (occurred in 65-85 percent of survivors);
• blindness - occurred due to inflammation of the cornea of ​​the eyes;
• deafness - infection provoked the appearance purulent otitis, damaging the epithelium of the inner and middle ear;
• deformation of the limbs - which is a consequence of arthritis and osteomyelitis caused by the smallpox virus (observed in approximately 2-5% of cases).

Classification and clinical features

In addition to the above-mentioned clinical forms of smallpox, Variola major is the most severe and common, Variola minor is rare, less severe, there are other types of this infection, differing in varying degrees of severity.

Smallpox without rash (variola sine eruptione)

Subclinical (without obvious symptoms) infection can be detected in vaccinated people. This form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of fever after the incubation period. During this period of time the patient experiences:

• general intoxication of the body;
• myalgia (pain in the muscles of the whole body, from head to toe);
• mild pain in the sacrum (bone in the lower back, base of the spine);
• subfebrile body temperature (37.1 – 38 0 C).

Confirmation of infection of the body can only be done by studying the composition of the blood for antibodies or by isolating the virus in tissue cultures taken from the patient.

Ordinary

Common smallpox accounts for 90% of all cases of the disease, it is divided into confluent, semi-confluent and discrete:

• Drain rash– forms on the skin of the face and the folds of the limbs in the form of large spots; on other parts of the body, papules are located separately. Mortality: 62% among unvaccinated and 26.3% among vaccinated patients.
• Semi-drained– papules merge together on the face, individual pimples cover the skin of the body and limbs. The mortality rate among unvaccinated people is 37%, among patients who received the vaccine 8.4%.
• Discrete– smallpox papules are scattered throughout the body, between them clean skin. The fatal outcome among vaccinated patients is 0.7%, among patients who did not receive the vaccine – 9.3%.

Modified (varioloid)

Modified smallpox is characterized by a milder course of the disease than the ordinary type of pathology. It is also available as drain, semi-drain and discrete. Develops in previously vaccinated individuals. At the first stage of the disease, symptoms are almost invisible. During the first 3-5 days the patient has a low-grade fever ( elevated temperature body 37.1 – 38 0 C).

Skin rashes appear on days 2-4, initially in the form of spots, which then turn into regular and watery pimples. Pustules (pimples with purulent contents) do not appear in this form of the disease.

The course of the disease is characterized by intensity and the absence of symptoms of intoxication. The mortality rate among vaccinated and unvaccinated people is 0%.

Flat pox

Severe form of the disease. Most often it occurs on the skin of unvaccinated people in the form of flat elements, as if recessed into the skin. A flat rash happens:

• Drain– papules merge and form areas with purulent blisters.
• Semi-drained– acne on the face as in the confluent form of the disease; on other parts of the body, papules appear separately.
• Discrete– flat elements of rashes appear on any part of the body, all over the skin, with clean skin between them.

Manifestations on the skin are accompanied by severe intoxication of the body. Mortality rate among unvaccinated patients is 96.5%, among vaccinated patients – 66.7%.

Hemorrhagic (fulminant)

It is a rare but very severe form of the disease, in which hemorrhages develop in the mucous membranes and skin. Hence the name of the disease - hemorrhage (bleeding).

The disease is divided into two stages:

• Early– hemorrhage in the skin and mucous membranes occurs at the prodromal (initial) stage of the disease, before the rash appears. The mortality rate among unvaccinated people, as well as among patients who received the vaccine, is 100%.
• Late– hemorrhages become noticeable on the patient’s skin after a rash, during the period of suppuration of pustules.

Alastrim (minor/white pox)

Alastrim is caused by the V. minor virus. For initial stage The pathology is characterized by increased body temperature, nausea and vomiting, and headache. On the third day, after the onset of the disease, body temperature returns to normal, general health stabilizes, but a light blistering rash appears on the skin.

The blisters burst over time, and the ulcers formed in their place epithelialize (the skin wound closes). There is no second stage of the disease.

Diagnostics

Mild forms of smallpox are similar to chickenpox, which requires differential diagnosis which will allow you to accurately establish a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with a number of diseases, the symptoms of which coincide with the signs of smallpox, among them hemorrhagic diathesis(hemorrhage under the skin and mucous membranes), toxicoderma ( acute inflammation skin) and herpes (lifelong infectious lesion skin and mucous membranes).

A simple diagnosis of the disease involves:

• Examination of the skin for the presence of a characteristic rash.
• Conducting a virological study of scrapings (taken from elements of the rash, the contents of papules, from the mucous membrane of the mouth and nasopharynx).
• MRI of the brain (to detect swelling).
• Donating blood for a general analysis.

Note! If you suspect infection with the Variola virus, it is very important to immediately consult an infectious disease doctor.

Because The smallpox virus has been destroyed, then the risk of contracting it is extremely low. Currently, chickenpox is a fairly common pathology. So watch the video below and learn all about its treatment methods.

General principles of therapy

Treatment of smallpox begins with hospitalization of the patient. Quarantine should last 40 days, from the first symptoms of the disease. The patient is credited with:

• Bed rest - lasts until the rash disappears.
• Air baths help reduce the feeling of itching.
• Drug treatment - prescribe drugs for intramuscular, oral and external use ( antimicrobial antibiotics, immunoglobulin, anti-itch ointments - see examples below).
• Gentle dietary food- is assigned without fail, represents table No. 4.

Drug treatment

First of all, the infected patient is given etiotropic treatment (allows to eliminate the cause of the disease, in this case we are talking about the V. major and V. minor viruses). The list of prescribed drugs includes:

• "Metisazon" is a drug in tablet form.
• Human smallpox immunoglobulin - intramuscular injections. (An artificial protein compound recognizes and neutralizes the virus in the body).
• Semi-synthetic penicillins are antimicrobial antibiotics (“Methicillin”, “Oxacillin”, “Nafcillin”).
• Macrolides are antimicrobial antibiotics with a low level of toxicity (“Azithromycin”).
• Cephalosporins - antibacterial drugs(“Cefixime”, “Ceftibuten”).

To block the mechanism of disease development, pathogenetic treatment is prescribed using vitamins, cardiovascular and antiallergic drugs, which the doctor chooses, taking into account the characteristics of the patient’s body.

In order to dry the rash, a 3-5% solution of potassium permanganate is prescribed, for treating the oral mucosa - a solution of sodium bicarbonate, for eye drops - 15% "Sodium Sulfacyl". Itching is relieved with 1% menthol ointment (after crusts have formed).

Table number 4 - sample menu

• 8:00 Liquid oatmeal, low-sour cottage cheese, Herb tea from burdock root, chamomile, marigold.
• 11:00 Blueberry compote (unsweetened).
• 13:00 Chicken soup with semolina, steamed beef meatballs, rice porridge, fruit jelly.
• 15:00 Rosehip compote (drink warm for better digestibility).
• 18:00 Steamed omelette, buckwheat porridge, herbal tea.

With diet number 4, porridge should be cooked in water and consumed grated. Prohibited foods: eggs in any form, fatty broth, milk, all berries and fruits, coffee, chocolate, any flour products.

Question answer

Are smallpox vaccinations given today?

Today, such vaccinations are not performed in most countries, including the CIS, since they became optional after the disease was completely eradicated from the planet. Routine vaccination has been maintained in Cuba and Israel, and newborn children are vaccinated in Egypt.

Is there a risk today of becoming infected with the Variola major or Variola minor virus?

In general, no. But scientists continue to consider smallpox as a potentially dangerous disease. Explaining this by the fact that strains of these viruses are still stored in laboratories located in Russia and the United States. If they are used as biological weapons, then refusal to vaccinate will result in a massive defeat for humanity.

Why do scientists store virus strains?

Firstly, the strains can serve science, and secondly, it was found that proteins produced by the smallpox virus can be used to make medicines for septic shock and acute Marburg viral disease.

What to remember:

1. Smallpox is a dangerous infectious disease with serious consequences.
2. Diagnosis of the disease must necessarily include differential analysis, which will allow you to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease and prescribe the necessary treatment.
3. Therapy for smallpox includes not only the use of medications, but also adherence to dietary nutrition.

Smallpox(lat. Variola, Variola vera) or, as it was also called earlier, smallpox - highly contagious (infectious) viral infection, which only affects people. It is caused by two types of viruses: Variola major (mortality rate 20-40%, according to some data - up to 90%) and Variola minor (mortality rate 1-3%). People who survive smallpox may lose some or all of their vision, and almost always have numerous scars on the skin where the former ulcers were.

Smallpox only affects people; experimental infection of laboratory animals is difficult. The causative agent of smallpox is a filterable virus, antigenically related to vaccinia, the cowpox virus, thin structure and the patterns of reproduction of which have been well studied. The incubation period for smallpox lasts from 8 to 14 days, usually approx. 11–12. Patients are contagious to others throughout the entire period of the rash and, apparently, even several days before the rash appears, for a total of about three weeks. The virus is released from bursting and drying blisters on the skin, from oral cavity and is found in the patient’s urine and feces. The infectious agent is transmitted through direct contact, by airborne droplets, from healthy carriers and animals, and can remain viable on clothing and bedding. All unvaccinated people are susceptible to infection; There is no natural immunity to smallpox. Although the disease can occur at any age, children under four years of age are especially vulnerable.

What provokes / Causes of Smallpox:

The causative agent of smallpox belongs to the viruses of the family Poxviridae, subfamily Chordopoxviridae, genus Orthopoxvirus; contains DNA, measures 200-350 nm, multiplies in the cytoplasm to form inclusions. The variola virus has an antigenic affinity with red blood cells of group A in human blood, which causes weak immunity, high morbidity and mortality in the corresponding group of people. It is resistant to environmental influences, especially drying and low temperatures. It can be preserved for a long time, for a number of months, in crusts and scales taken from pockmarks on the skin of patients; in a frozen and lyophilized state it remains viable for several years.

Pathogenesis (what happens?) During Smallpox:

In typical cases, smallpox is characterized by general intoxication, fever, peculiar rashes on the skin and mucous membranes, successively passing through the stages of spot, vesicle, pustule, crust and scar.

Smallpox is an anthroponotic disease and is a highly contagious, especially dangerous infection. All people are susceptible to smallpox unless they have immunity from previous illness or vaccination. Smallpox was widespread in Asia and Africa. It is an airborne infection, but inoculation of the virus is possible through direct contact with the affected skin of the patient or objects infected with it. The infectiousness of the patient is observed throughout the entire disease - from the last days of incubation to the rejection of the crusts. The corpses of those who died from smallpox also remain highly infectious.

When inhaling contaminated air, viruses enter the respiratory tract. Infection through the skin during variolation and transplacentally is possible. The virus enters the nearest lymph nodes and then into the blood, which leads to viremia. The epithelium is hematogenously infected, where the virus multiplies, which is associated with the appearance of enanthema and exanthema. Weakening of the immune system leads to the activation of secondary flora and the transformation of vesicles into pustules. Due to the death of the germinal layer of the epidermis, deep suppurative and destructive processes, scars are formed. Infectious-toxic shock may develop. Severe forms are characterized by the development of hemorrhagic syndrome.

Symptoms of Smallpox:

In the typical course of smallpox, the incubation period lasts 8-12 days.

The initial period is characterized by chills, increased body temperature, severe tearing pain in the lower back, sacrum and limbs, severe thirst, dizziness, headache, and vomiting. Sometimes the onset of the disease is mild.

On the 2-4th day, against the background of fever, an initial rash appears on the skin either in the form of areas of hyperemia (measles-like, roseolous, erythematous), or a hemorrhagic rash on both sides of the chest in the area of ​​the pectoral muscles up to armpits, as well as below the navel in the area of ​​the inguinal folds and inner thighs (“Simon’s triangle”); hemorrhages look like purpura and even like ecchymoses. A spotted rash lasts for several hours, a hemorrhagic rash lasts longer.

On the 4th day, a decrease in body temperature is observed, the clinical symptoms of the initial period are weakened, but typical pockmarks appear on the scalp, face, torso and extremities, which go through the stages of spots, papules, vesicles, pustules, crust formation, rejection of the latter and scar formation. At the same time, pockmarks appear on the mucous membrane of the nose, oropharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, conjunctiva, rectum, female genital organs, urethra. They soon turn into erosions.

On the 8-9th days of the disease, in the stage of suppuration of the vesicles, the patients’ well-being deteriorates again, signs of toxic encephalopathy appear (impaired consciousness, delirium, agitation, and in children - convulsions). The period of drying and falling off of the crusts takes about 1-2 weeks. Numerous scars form on the face and scalp.

The change in the blood is characterized by leukocytosis; in severe forms there is a sharp shift to the left with the release of myelocytes and young cells into the blood.

Severe forms include confluent form (Variola confluens), pustular-hemorrhagic (Variola haemorrhagica pustulesa) and smallpox purpura (Purpura variolosae).

In those vaccinated with the smallpox vaccine, smallpox is mild (Varioloid). Its main features are a long incubation period (15-17 days), moderate symptoms of malaise and other signs of intoxication; true smallpox rash is not abundant, pustules do not form, no scars remain on the skin, recovery occurs after 2 weeks. There are mild forms with short-term fever without a rash and severe discomfort (Variola sine exanthemate) or only in the form of a mild rash (Variola afebris).

TO possible complications include encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, pneumonia, panophthalmitis, keratitis, iritis, sepsis.

Diagnosis of Smallpox:

Clinical manifestations of the disease are the basis for specific studies. For analysis, the contents of vesicles, pustules, crusts, smears of mucus from the oral cavity, and blood are taken. The presence of the virus in samples is determined using electron microscopy, microprecipitation in agar using the immunofluorescence method, and PCR. A preliminary result is obtained after 24 hours; after further research, the virus is isolated and identified.

Treatment of Smallpox:

For treatment of this disease apply antiviral drugs(metisazone 0.6 g 2 times a day for a course of 5-6 days), anti-smallpox immunoglobulin 3-6 ml intramuscularly. To prevent bacterial infection, apply to the affected areas of the skin. antiseptic drugs. In the presence of bacterial complications patients are prescribed antibiotics wide range actions (semi-synthetic penicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins). Measures are taken aimed at detoxifying the body, these include the introduction of colloid and crystalloid solutions, in some cases ultrafiltration and plasmaphoresis are carried out.

Forecast depends on the clinical form of the disease, age and premorbid condition. Mortality ranges from 2% to 100%. With a mild course and in those vaccinated, the prognosis is favorable. Convalescents are discharged from the hospital after complete clinical recovery, but not earlier than 40 days from the onset of the disease. After mild forms, patients are discharged without changing their fitness category. After severe forms, suitability for military service is decided by the Military Military Commission depending on residual phenomena (visual impairment and others) or they are granted sick leave for up to 1 month.

Prevention of Smallpox:

Variolation(vaccination with an early, unsafe vaccine) was known in the East at least from the early Middle Ages: in India there are records of it from the 8th century, and in China from the 10th century. This vaccination technique was first brought to Europe from Turkey by the wife of the British ambassador in Istanbul, Mary Wortley Montagu, in 1718, after which the British royal family was vaccinated.

In Russia, variolation was introduced after the death of 14-year-old Emperor Peter II from smallpox.

At the end of the 18th century, the English physician Edward Jenner invented a smallpox vaccine based on the cowpox virus, which was widely vaccinated in Europe.

The first people vaccinated against smallpox in Russia were Catherine II the Great, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, and a few days later Catherine’s grandchildren Alexander and Konstantin Pavlovich. The peasant boy Markov, from whom the empress was vaccinated with smallpox, was given nobility, the surname Ospenny and a coat of arms.

In America, Asia and Africa, smallpox persisted for almost two hundred years. In the 18th century, every 7th child in Russia died from smallpox. In the 20th century, the virus claimed the lives of 300-500 million people. In the late 1960s, smallpox affected 10-15 million unvaccinated people.

In 1967, WHO decides to eradicate smallpox through mass vaccination of humanity.

The last case of natural smallpox infection was described in Somalia in 1977. In 1978, the last case of laboratory infection was recorded. The eradication of smallpox was officially announced in 1980 at the WHO Assembly, which was preceded by a corresponding conclusion of a commission of experts issued in December 1979.

Smallpox is the first and so far the only infectious disease defeated through mass vaccination. Vaccinations against smallpox in the USSR stopped in 1978-1980.

Smallpox is particularly dangerous infections. Patients and those suspected of this infection are subject to strict isolation, clinical examination and treatment in special hospitals. Medical personnel work in type III anti-plague clothing with a mask. Carry out thorough ongoing and final disinfection of the room where the patient is (was), household items and places common use 5% Lysol solution. The dishes are soaked in a 3% chloramine solution, then boiled. All garbage and waste are burned.

Quarantine for persons who were in contact with a patient (suspicious) with smallpox, it is set to 17 days. All of them are vaccinated against smallpox, regardless of the date of the previous vaccination. They are administered a single dose of donor gamma globulin in the amount of 3 ml and prescribed metisazone orally: adults 0.6 g 2 times a day, children - a single dose at the rate of 10 mg per 1 kg of child’s body weight for 4-6 days in a row.

Which doctors should you contact if you have smallpox:

Interesting facts about the disease Smallpox:

The cessation of vaccination against smallpox could provoke an increase in HIV infections. According to immunologists, the smallpox vaccine reduced the likelihood of the immunodeficiency virus entering cells.

The authors of the study, American scientists from the University of California and several other research centers, described in the pages of the journal the results of experiments on cell cultures taken from people who had been vaccinated. The researchers found that in cells from people previously vaccinated against smallpox, HIV multiplied more slowly than in the same cells from people who had not been vaccinated.

Caution won't hurt
However, one should not assume that the smallpox vaccine protects against HIV and immediately run to get vaccinated: scientists emphasize that the experiment was carried out on a cell culture, and not on a whole organism, and a fivefold reduction in the rate of spread of the virus was obtained not for any type of HIV, but only for certain strains. These strains are quite common and play important role in the development of the epidemic, but are far from the only ones. And slowing down the spread of the virus by five times is still not equivalent to its complete destruction.

Another thing is that until the 1970s, when smallpox vaccinations were administered en masse, the risk of infection could be less, and for a long time the virus simply could not spread beyond a limited area in Central Africa. Even now, the probability of HIV transmission through sexual contact does not exceed tenths of a percent, and a decrease in this value by several times, coupled with poor development of transport, could well prevent the pandemic from spreading. Now that the number of carriers of the virus is about 40 million people worldwide, there is no hope of eradicating HIV, even if the results of preliminary experiments are fully confirmed. But any promising approach to reducing the risk of transmission of the virus is certainly worth considering.

How it works?
Key role in potential defense mechanism played by receptors like CCR5 - protein molecules located inside the cell membrane. It is these molecules that HIV interacts with when entering a cell, and virologists know that people with a mutant form of CCR5 receptors for HIV are much less vulnerable.

Windows and doors

CCR5 is not the only molecule that the virus uses to enter cells. Equally important are the CD4 receptors. Using an analogy, we can compare receptors to the “windows” and “doors” of a cell. Burglars enter through both doors and windows, so installing safety glass or secure locks separately only reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of theft.

By the way, the analogy between receptors and windows is also noteworthy in that the cell itself needs receptors for selective interaction with other cells.

The vaccinia virus, which is the basis of the vaccine (the similarity in the names is not accidental; the virus is named precisely for its noble function) against smallpox, can change the expression of the CCR5 gene. This means that the gene responsible for the synthesis of receptor proteins can be “turned off,” and over time, the CCR5 receptors simply disappear in a vaccinated patient.

How exactly this happens, how long the effect lasts (scientists conducted experiments on cells from people vaccinated three and six months before the experiment) and whether it can also be enhanced is still unclear. But what is clear is that smallpox vaccinations are safe enough for mass use: they were given to every child on the planet at one time, and many were left with a tiny scar on their shoulder.

Only in the 1980s, when smallpox disappeared from the face of the Earth and remained only in a few microbiological laboratories, were vaccinations abandoned because of the risk side effects became many times greater than the risk of contracting smallpox itself. But if it is proven that smallpox vaccinations also help against HIV (even if not absolutely), it will not be difficult to return to smallpox vaccination.

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Chickenpox is one of the most contagious viral diseases. Children are most often affected by it preschool age. Almost every child remembers it under a simple and common name among the people - chickenpox. If just recently it was exclusively childhood disease, then today both teenagers and adults can become infected. The reason is considered to be negative ecology, leading to a decrease in the protective functions of the body. Therefore, childhood diseases are increasingly occurring in adults. For example, ten percent of all cases of chickenpox occur in the older generation.

Characteristics of the pathogen

The disease is caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus, which belongs to the herpes family. The objects of its attack are mucous membranes and skin cells. The chickenpox virus is quite active. With the flow of air, it can cover short distances, rise up, and move to neighboring rooms. However, despite the increased activity, the pathogen is very short-lived. Outside the body, it can exist for no more than an hour. In this case, exposure to ultraviolet radiation or high temperature completely destroys it.

The source of infection is exclusively those with chickenpox or herpes zoster. Children are the most susceptible to the virus. The pathogen enters the body during breathing.

The incubation process lasts from ten to twenty days. Only at the end of the period does chickenpox visually appear. The symptoms of the disease are quite characteristic. It is almost impossible to confuse them with others.

Chickenpox symptoms

The onset of the disease proceeds like a normal acute respiratory infection. All typical signs are characteristic: fever, chills, headaches, weakness, drowsiness, fever. During this period, children become lethargic and capricious.

Only when a rash appears on the body - round pink spots - can it be determined that the baby is infected. This is how chickenpox begins in children. Symptoms appear the very next day after the rash appears. As a rule, the temperature rises to 39 o C. However, there are cases when the disease occurs without such heat.

Then the rash spreads in just a couple of hours, covering the entire body. Pimples take on the appearance of blisters filled with liquid. Along with high fever, characteristic skin itching appears. Chicken pox in children causes desire comb the mucous membranes of the mouth, the skin between the toes, and the eye area. After two or three days, the bubbles burst and dry completely, forming yellow-brown crusts. Within a week they disappear. The wounds, as a rule, disappear without a trace.

It is very important to observe how chickenpox progresses in children. The baby should never scratch the blisters. Otherwise, bacteria may get into the wounds. This will lead to the development of a skin infection. The most unpleasant thing is that scars will most likely remain in their place.

Allergy or chickenpox?

Sometimes parents who encounter a rash in their baby for the first time can confuse these diseases. How to distinguish allergic reactions from such a serious illness as chicken pox? The symptoms and treatment of these diseases are quite different, although both present with a rash.

With chickenpox, the first pimples appear on the scalp and face. Only then does the rash move and cover the entire body. Allergies are characterized by a clear localization of acne formation. When the spots become bubbles with liquid and are surrounded by reddened halos, characteristic of chickenpox, it is completely impossible to confuse.

There is one more feature you should know. Unlike allergies, chickenpox is characterized by a wave-like course. One stage of rash superimposes on another. Thus, pink spots, bubbles with liquid, and crusts appear on the body. Sometimes chicken pox is so intense that the rash leaves no “living” space on the body. This is particularly troubling.

Course of the disease

Through the top Airways the infection enters the body and causes a disease such as chickenpox. The periods of the disease make it possible to distinguish several main stages:

• Infection. This period is called incubation and is characterized by the virus entering the body. This is how chickenpox begins. There are no symptoms at this stage. The stage lasts about two weeks. The patient is not contagious at this time.
• First manifestations. Gradually the virus penetrates the blood. As soon as it accumulates enough, the immune system reacts to a foreign invasion. This is manifested by increased temperature and weakness. The main symptoms expressed by the rash are not observed during this period. The duration of this stage is 1-2 days. From this moment on, the patient becomes infectious to the environment.
• Acute stage. The blood flow carries the virus to its main targets. Typically this is the area of ​​the spinal cord. The period is accompanied by acute symptoms. The body is covered with a characteristic rash. The duration of the period ranges from several days to a week. This stage continues to be characterized by increased contagiousness.
• Recovery stage. In a patient with a normal immune system, the rash goes away after 3-7 days. The condition is noticeably improving. The patient is no longer contagious during this period. Although the virus takes hold in nerve cells, where it remains forever.
• Secondary acute stage . This stage usually occurs against a background of weakened immunity. It may be accompanied by a new rash. In most cases, areas of the abdomen and armpits are affected. This form of the disease is called herpes zoster. Sometimes there may be no rash at all. This is often how chickenpox manifests itself in adults. During the period accompanied skin rash, the person becomes infectious again.

Treatment of chickenpox in children

Hospitalization is required only in particularly severe cases or complications. Basically, treatment is carried out at home.

Once a diagnosis of chickenpox is made, treatment should begin immediately. All patients (children and adults) are prescribed bed rest. Patients require special care. The affected areas must be treated with a 1% solution of brilliant green. Daily baths and constant change of linen are recommended.

Antibiotics are prescribed only in cases where chickenpox is associated with a bacterial infection. This occurs when scratching the blisters. Therefore, this must be prevented. Children need to be distracted from such activities in every possible way.

Most doctors recommend taking short-term baths with the addition of manganese. This is disinfecting in nature. European doctors suggest replacing the bath with a shower. It is believed that this procedure perfectly relieves itching. Russian doctors speak quite categorically about the soul. The possibility of infection under running water has been raised.

Severe dehydration, especially with high temperatures, may be characterized by chickenpox in children. Treatment must begin with plenty of drinking. At this time, quite often babies completely lose their appetite. The task of parents is to try to replenish the missing nutrients in the child’s body.

At high temperatures, antipyretic drugs are prescribed. Doses are usually prescribed by a doctor, and they are calculated based on the age and weight of the baby. The drug "Aspirin" is generally not recommended for children under 12 years of age. A medicine based on paracetamol is much better suited. It is this drug that perfectly relieves fever, provides an anti-inflammatory effect and is absolutely harmless to the child.

An antihistamine, for example Diazolin, helps relieve itching. But it should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor and according to the dosage prescribed by the pediatrician. Antiviral gels are prescribed to treat rashes in the eye area. Acyclovir is considered one of the best. You should not use it yourself. This issue should definitely be discussed with your pediatrician.

Features of treatment for adults

If in children the disease is quite mild, then for adults this process is much more difficult and complex. Chickenpox, the treatment of which is not started on time, often ends in complications in adults.

If the form of the disease is easy character, you can limit yourself to external means. They are aimed at reducing itching and protecting the body from bacterial infection.

Great solution for irritation: brilliant green, manganese solution (2%), methylene blue. Fenistil ointment reduces itching. For preventive purposes, antiviral ointments are used: Acyclovir, Infagel. They must be applied very carefully so as not to destroy the bubbles.

Since chickenpox is more complicated in adults, treatment is required much more seriously. Sometimes severe itching can deprive the patient of sleep. In this case, sedative herbs are prescribed: valerian, motherwort. For especially severe forms, even tranquilizers are used, for example, Seduxen.

When the rash occurs, the temperature rises significantly. For this period, antipyretic drugs are prescribed. Quite effective are those based on paracetamol - Teraflu, Efferalgan.

Often, a doctor prescribes antihistamines. They significantly reduce irritation. The most effective are Claritin, Supradin, Tavegil. Some of them have a hypnotic effect, which is why they should be taken at night. However, it should be remembered that antihistamine drugs can cause harm because they have side effects and a large number of contraindications. To avoid such a result, it is better to take medications only on the recommendation of a doctor.

Particularly severe forms or complications are treated inpatiently in a hospital. Then all drugs are prescribed intravenously or intramuscularly. Of course, the effect of such treatment is enormous. But you should also remember about the side effects. That is why it is strictly forbidden to use the drugs yourself.

Chickenpox vaccination

The disease is not considered dangerous and very severe. Therefore, vaccination is not mandatory. However, there are cases when chickenpox vaccination is mandatory. Vaccination is necessary for people suffering malignant neoplasms, various blood diseases. This will help avoid worsening the underlying disease.

The vaccine contains a live, attenuated virus. The drug is produced in powder form. It comes with a special solvent.

Children aged one to 12 years are vaccinated once. For adults, the procedure must be repeated after six weeks.

Vaccination of patients during an acute form of the disease is contraindicated. Pregnant women are also prohibited from getting the vaccine.

To get sick or to warn?

When the first symptoms are detected, the child must be isolated from contact with other children. But the sick baby had been the source of the virus for two or three days. It is very difficult to identify all infected children. Therefore, the best thing is to completely separate them.

It is a common fact that chickenpox, as a rule, occurs in almost all children. This means there is nothing to fear. It should be remembered that chickenpox is not so harmless. There are cases where the “childhood” disease caused very serious complications. Among them: chickenpox encephalitis, pneumonia, various lesions nervous system. Such complications are quite difficult to treat and therefore require hospitalization.

To prevent chickenpox and prevent complications, vaccination plays a very significant role. This is especially important for a woman planning a pregnancy who has not had chickenpox. After all, babies receive antibodies from their mother. They are the ones who protect the baby from the virus during the first year of life. It is worth saying that the disease is very difficult for newborns to tolerate.

How to protect yourself from infection

If there is more than one child in the family or adults who have not suffered from the disease, the question arises of how to protect family members from chickenpox. Several recommendations will help reduce the chance of spreading the virus:

• Complete isolation. Adults and children who are not sick and who are close to a sick baby should be as careful as possible. The most ideal solution (if possible) is to completely isolate yourself. Unfortunately, most often this is not possible, but it is 100% the only option.
• Quartzization. The virus spreads quite quickly throughout the room and apartment. A regular quartz lamp will help reduce the risk of infection. Remember that you must use the device strictly according to the instructions.
• Separate room. The patient must lie in bed almost all the time. At the same time, it is very important that he has his own room, which it is not recommended to leave at all.
• Personal hygiene. All things and dishes must be strictly individual. It is unacceptable for the patient to use the same towel as healthy child. Even washing things during this period should be done separately.
• Bandages. The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets. Therefore, it would be a good defense gauze bandage. All family members must wear it. Of course, it won’t give an absolute guarantee, but it will greatly reduce the risk of infection.

Complications of the disease

Very a common complication is a secondary bacterial infection. This is suppuration of the blisters. This process greatly worsens and complicates the healing process. With such consequences, antibiotics are prescribed.

Other types of complications occur much less frequently in patients. If any of them occur, you should immediately seek help from a doctor. Often such manifestations are treated in a hospital.

Some of them:

• Pneumonia. Sometimes the virus can get into the lungs. Here it provokes inflammation. Most often, this complication occurs in children with weakened immune systems and in adults who smoke. Pregnant women are also at risk.
• Viral encephalitis. This is inflammation of the brain. The region most often affected in children is the cerebellum. This is manifested by impaired coordination of movement. And in adults, the virus can spread to other parts of the brain. In such cases, severe headaches, sensitivity to light, and nausea appear.
• Loss of vision. Sometimes the virus can infect the cornea. A scar forms on the eye, which blocks the field of vision, and the patient practically cannot see.
• Arthritis. Severe joint pain may occur. As a rule, they disappear along with the rash.

Stages of the disease

It will help you understand how chickenpox develops, photo. In children, redness begins almost immediately. The next stage is the formation of bubbles with liquid.

Instead of a conclusion

Remember, chickenpox is a fairly simple disease. However, even this can turn into disaster. Therefore, for preventive purposes, monitor your immune system and, if possible, exercise. Proper nutrition is quite important.