Smallpox history and symptoms: Difference between revisions
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* [[Contagious]] | * [[Contagious]] | ||
* Variable number of pustules, up to a few thousand | * Variable number of pustules, up to a few thousand | ||
* [[Pustules]] first | * [[Pustules]] first form a crust and than a scab | ||
===Resolving scabs=== | ===Resolving scabs=== | ||
Revision as of 19:01, 13 July 2014
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2]
Overview
Symptoms of smallpox progress in a typical fashion and some of its common symptoms may include high fever, rash (initially in the oral mucosa, followed by the skin), malaise, fatigue, muscle pain and vomiting.
History
In 90% of the cases, patients presented with ordinary smallpox. Commonly there is a family member, or close contact, with the disease. Ordinary smallpox progresses according to the following periods:[1][2]
Incubation period
- Usually 12 - 14 days
- Asymptomatic
- Noncontagious
Prodrome period
Commonly patients feel very ill during this period.
- Usually 2 - 4 days
- Sometime contagious
- Abrupt onset of fever
- Malaise
- Muscle pain and headache
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
Early rash
- About 4 days
- Most contagious stage
- Rash as small red spots in the mouth, tongue and oropharynx
- Rash turns into sores releasing the virus
- Rash appears on the skin, starting on the face, moving towards arms and hands, eventually spreading to the rest of the body within 24-48 hours (centrifugal fashion)
- At this time, fever usually falls and the person feels better
- At the 3rd day of rash, it turns into raised bumps
- At the 4th day of rash, bumps are filled with fluid, with a central depression
- Fever will then raise again, until scabs are formed
Pustular rash
- About 5 days
- Contagious
- Bumps turn into pustules
Pustules and scabs
- About 5 days
- Contagious
- Variable number of pustules, up to a few thousand
- Pustules first form a crust and than a scab
Resolving scabs
- About 6 days
- Contagious, until all scabs have fallen
- Scabs start to fall leaving scars not the skin
- Most scabs will have fallen 3 weeks after start of rash
Resolved scabs
- All scabs have fallen
- Person is no longer contagious
Throughout these stages, the skin lesions are all at the same level of development, among different parts of the body.
Common Symptoms
- Initially in the mouth, that evolves into sores
- Followed by skin rash
Less Common Symptoms
References
- ↑ Moore, Zack S; Seward, Jane F; Lane, J Michael (2006). "Smallpox". The Lancet. 367 (9508): 425–435. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68143-9. ISSN 0140-6736.
- ↑ "Smallpox disease overview".