smallpox

smallpox
n.
an acute infectious virus disease causing high fever and a rash that scars the skin. It is transmitted chiefly by direct contact with a patient. Symptoms commence 8–18 days after exposure and include headache, backache, high fever, and vomiting. On the third day, as the fever subsides, red spots appear on the face and spread to the trunk and extremities. Over the next 8–9 days all the spots (macules) change to pimples (papules), then to pea-sized blisters that are at first watery (vesicles) but soon become pus-filled (pustules). The fever returns, often causing delirium. On the eleventh or twelfth day the rash and fever abate. Scabs formed by drying out of pustules fall off 7–20 days later, leaving permanent scars. The patient remains infectious until all scabs have been shed. Most patients recover but serious complications, such as nephritis or pneumonia, may develop. Treatment with thiosemicarbazone is effective. An attack usually confers immunity; immunization against smallpox has now totally eradicated the disease.
Medical names:
variola.
See also: alastrim, cowpox

The new mediacal dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Smallpox — Small pox , n. [Small + pox, pocks.] (Med.) A contagious, constitutional, febrile disease characterized by a peculiar eruption; variola. The cutaneous eruption is at first a collection of papules which become vesicles (first flat, subsequently… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • smallpox — 1510s, small pokkes, as distinguished from great pox syphillis (see POX (Cf. pox)). Cf. Fr. petite vérole …   Etymology dictionary

  • smallpox — ► NOUN ▪ an acute contagious disease spread by a virus, with fever and pustules usually leaving permanent scars …   English terms dictionary

  • smallpox — [smôlpäks΄] n. an acute, highly contagious disease caused by a poxvirus and characterized by prolonged fever, vomiting, and pustular eruptions that often leave pitted scars, or pockmarks, when healed: see VARIOLA …   English World dictionary

  • Smallpox — otheruses4|the disease the 1982 Serbian film|Variola Vera|the fish genus|Variola (Serranidae) Infobox Disease Name = Smallpox Caption = A child infected with smallpox ICD10 = ICD10|B|03| |b|00 ICD9 = ICD9|050 DiseasesDB = 12219 MedlinePlus =… …   Wikipedia

  • smallpox — /smawl poks /, n. Pathol. an acute, highly contagious, febrile disease, caused by the variola virus, and characterized by a pustular eruption that often leaves permanent pits or scars: eradicated worldwide by vaccination programs. [1510 20; SMALL …   Universalium

  • smallpox — noun … OF SMALLPOX ▪ attack ▪ In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox. ▪ case ▪ 15 million cases of smallpox were reported worldwide. ▪ outbreak …   Collocations dictionary

  • smallpox — n. 1) to contract, develop smallpox 2) a smallpox epidemic (there have been no smallpox epidemics for many years) * * * develop smallpox to contract a smallpox epidemic (there have been no smallpox epidemics for many years) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • smallpox — An acute eruptive contagious disease caused by a poxvirus (Orthopoxvirus, a member of the family Poxviridae) and marked at the onset by chills, high fever, backache, and headache; in 2–5 days the constitu …   Medical dictionary

  • Smallpox — Variole  Pour la « grande vérole », qui n a aucun lien de parenté avec la variole (malgré son surnom), voir syphilis. Variole Classification et ressources externes CIM 10 B03 CIM 9 050 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • smallpox — (variola; smawl poks) Once a highly contagious, often fatal disease caused by a poxvirus. Its most noticeable symptom was the appearance of blisters and pustules on the skin. Vaccination has eradicated smallpox throughout the world …   Dictionary of microbiology

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”