Viruses smallpox

Biopharmaceuticals in Plants Toward the Next Century of Medicine 

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Blattergift, n. smallpox toxin, smallpox virus. Blattergips, m. selenite, blatterigi u. leafy, foliated, laminated. Blatter kies, rw. lamellar pyrites, -kohle, /. 

Pocken-gift, n. smallpox virus, -holz, n. = Pockholz. -impfimg,/. vaccination, -lymphe, /. vaccine lymph, -narbe,/. pit. -wurzel,/. chinaroot. 

DNA viruses Poxviruses Variola Vaccinia Large particles 200 x 250nm complex symmetry Variola is the smallpox virus. It produces a systemic infection with a characteristic vesicular rash affecting the face, arms and legs, and has a high mortality rate. Vaccinia has been derived from the cowpox virus and is used to immunize against smallpox... 

Except in a few cases, virus species have not been formally designated, but would refer to specific virus entities that have been recognized. At present, virus species are only designated by common names, such as mumps virus, poliovirus 1, and smallpox virus. For... 

Biological warfare agents present a greatly increased threat because the original viruses or bacteria can multiply and infect additional people. Considerable concern has been expressed over the possibility that a terrorist group might obtain a sample of the smallpox virus. Until recently, it was believed that smallpox had... 

It is normally found in northern Africa and southwestern Asia. It is a poorly characterized orthopoxvirus that causes severe disease in camels. It is genetically closely related genetically to the smallpox virus. This virus has rarely, if ever, caused disease in people. 

Right now, we have to deal with incubation time and wait for victims to develop symptoms. The incubation time for anthrax is one to six days. In this example, anthrax victims would have one to six days between exposure and the onset of symptoms. Anthrax is not transmissible from person to person. Compare this to the incubation time with that of the virus, smallpox, which is ten to seventeen days. Smallpox is highly transmissible from person to person. After exposure to smallpox, a person could travel by air around the world a number of times and contaminate many people before developing any symptoms. However, naturally occurring smallpox has been eradicated worldwide since 1977. Terrorism could rapidly change that eradication to an attack since samples of the smallpox virus have been stored in both the United States and Russia. 

Is the smallpox virus, variola, that causes smallpox still around ... 

No, smallpox vaccine does not contain smallpox virus but another live virus called vaccinia virus. Since this virus is related to smallpox virus, vaccination with vaccina provides immunity against infection from smallpox virus. 

Various agencies are currently validating tests designed to test for the smallpox virus in the environment. 

The vaccine against smallpox is made with a virus related to smallpox virus called vaccinia virus. It is not made with smallpox virus called variola. The vaccine is a highly effective immunizing agent against smallpox infection. It was successfully used to eradicate smallpox from the human population. 

Although smallpox disease has been eradicated, two countries still keep smallpox virus (variola) stocks. Two laboratories hold stocks of smallpox virus (variola). These are the WHO Collaborating Centres in Atlanta, USA and Koltsovo, Russian Federation. 

In addition to the stock of smallpox vaccine in the US, an additional 50-100 million doses are estimated to exist worldwide. Many countries still hold smallpox vaccine (vaccinia) stocks. WHO recommends that countries that still have stocks of smallpox vaccine (vaccinia) maintain these stocks. This recommendation has been made for two reasons. Firstly, small amounts of vaccine are still needed to vaccinate laboratory personnel handling vaccinia virus and other members of this virus family. Some of these viruses are found in nature and cause illness among animals, and some are used in research to make new, safer vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases. Secondly, smallpox vaccine, vaccinia, will also be needed in case of a deliberate or accidental release of smallpox virus, variola. 

Although personnel who have been vaccinated recently and who have a demonstrated immune response should be fully protected against infection with smallpox virus, they should continue to observe standard contact precautions including using protective clothing and shoe covers when in contact with smallpox patients or contaminated materials to prevent inadvertent spread of variola virus to susceptible persons and potential self-contact with other infectious agents. 

Transmission of smallpox virus rarely occurs before the appearance of the rash that develops 2-4 days after the initial fever. 

Scientists believe that if smallpox virus is released as an aerosol and not exposed to UV light, it may persist for as long as 24 hours or somewhat longer under favorable conditions. However, by the time patients become ill, which takes about 10 days to 12 days after infection with the virus, and it has been determined that an aerosol release of smallpox virus had occurred, there would be no viable smallpox virus left in the environment to detect. Trying to detect the virus everywhere at all times without any indications of any illness in people would not be feasible. 

Smallpox patients are most infectious during the first week of the rash. At this time, patients have sores in their mouths. These sores release smallpox virus into the patient s saliva. The virus may spread through the air when the infected person breathes, talks, laughs, or coughs. A patient is no longer infectious after all scabs have fallen off, usually about 3 or 4 weeks after the start of the rash. 

Smallpox Virus transmissible via large or small respiratory droplets or contact with skin lesions and secretions. 

The portals of entry for the smallpox virus are the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Smallpox is transmitted by large or small respiratory droplets and by contact with skin lesions or secretions. Patients are considered more infectious if they are actively coughing. Incubation period ranges from 10 to 14 days, but most... 

Cowpox—Virus related to the smallpox virus, it causes a mild disease in cows and humans and is used to protect people against smallpox. 

Smallpox—Virus infection that causes fever and skin eruptions, frequently fatal. Smallpox has been eradicated by worldwide campaigns to vaccinate, making the body s immune system able to resist infection by the introduction beneath the skin of a small amount of a harmless form of the virus. 

Among biologically active compounds - derivatives of isatin - there is methisazone (1-methylisatin 3-thiosemicarbazone), which has been used as a prophylactic agent against the smallpox virus [139-141], Methods for the synthesis of compounds with the general formula 146 have been developed in the search for new antiviral and antimicrobial agents [142] ... 

There are just a few studies of the use of caspase inhibitors to prevent apoptosis. Most studies concentrate on the expression of proteins of the IAP family (XIAP being the most noticeable) and the viral components p35 and CrmA (Vives et al., 2003a). CrmA, encoded by the smallpox virus, is a pseudo-substrate for serine and cysteine proteases. It inhibits caspases 1, 8, and 10 in several cell types (Sauerwald et al., 2003). p35 is a wide-spectrum caspase inhibitor encoded by baculoviruses, and it also behaves as a pseudo-substrate, inhibiting caspases 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 10 (Zhou et al., 1998). XIAP is the most potent member of the IAP family. It is found in the mammalian genome and is responsible for the inhibition of caspases 3, 7, and 9 (Sauerwald et al., 2002). An increased protective effect is found in CHO and HEK-293 cells expressing a XIAP mutant resistant to degradation (XIAP-BIR123) when compared with the wild-type protein (Sauerwald et al., 2002). 

The threat of a bioterrorist attack with smallpox is especially disturbing since the eradication of smallpox remains one of the great achievements in human history. Unfortunately, since routine vaccination against smallpox was discontinued in 1978, few people retain immunity today. Although there are only two official repositories of the smallpox virus today, it is still possible that terrorists will be able to obtain the virus. Thus, the government has had to stockpile supplies of the vaccine, and there is some debate about whether to resume routine smallpox vaccinations. Although the smallpox vaccine was discovered by accident, the story of how Louis Pasteur developed the first anthrax vaccine and his use of unvaccinated animals as controls remain as excellent lessons about the process of science (Trachtman 2002). 

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