Introduction
Smallpox is a significant contagious disease that is associated with the variola virus and affects both children and adults. The disease brought very high mortality rates as its effect before being eradicated all over the world in the year 1980 during a vaccination campaign initiated by the WHO. Although it was eradicated, its history and the possibility of being used as a biological weapon make smallpox an interesting topic. It can provide people with a better appreciation of the strides made in immunology and virology if they are informed of the symptoms, side effects, and treatments available for smallpox historically.
Smallpox Symptoms in Children
Smallpox symptoms in children closely resemble those of adults in patients who develop the condition in a succession of stages. In most cases, it begins with an incubation stage where the virus is unobservable. This lasts from around 7 to 17 days, and the patient remains asymptomatic.
At this stage, the infected child exhibits prodromal symptoms such as chills, high fever, tiredness, muscle pains, and a severe headache. There could be other symptoms, including back pain, vomiting, and a general feeling of being ill. In some cases, the child experiences abdominal pain and difficulty swallowing at this stage.
It is during this phase that the classical rash manifests. In its initial stages, the rash consists of slight red spots on the face, hands, and forearms, which later spread to other parts of the body. In a couple of days, these spots turn into fluid-containing pustules. The pustules are rounded and have a specific shape; most of the time, they cause the child a lot of discomfort and itches severely. In course of time, these pustules later turn into scabs, which, in due course of time, fall off and result in permanent scars that are deep in the skin.
Side Effects of Smallpox in Children
Smallpox can bring about a great number of complications ranging from deadly complications to some fatal conditions. Children are most affected as a result of their low-defensive immune systems. Some of the main side effects and complications include: Skin infections brought about by bacteria: The pus created during smallpox can be infected by bacteria, and this thus leads to the formation of bacterial skin infections. The complications can lead to sepsis if not given professional medical care.
Diseases in the Respiratory System:
The infections may cause lung diseases like pneumonia. The virus alone can infect the lungs, which results in serious coughing and difficulty breathing. Such a condition seriously compromises the child’s immune system.
Eye Diseases:
Some children may develop eye infections due to the smallpox virus responsible for corneal ulceration or even loss of vision in extreme cases. Whenever the infection or secondary bacterial infections affect the eyes, there is scarring that leads to total loss of vision.
Encephalitis:
Sometimes, a spotty case of smallpox might develop into encephalitis, which is inflammation in the brain. This might lead to seizures, neurological loss, and, if not recovered quickly, coma or death.
Scarring:
Deep pustules made in the skin lead to scarring of the face, arms, and legs. These scars may result in scarring in the younger ones, and, henceforth, they will also suffer psychologically, ultimately affecting their self-esteem and interaction in the social world.
Long-term Organ Damage:
In severe cases, smallpox can affect various multiple organ systems and result in damaging the kidneys or liver. These side effects are risky for small children whose bodies still develop.
Treatment and Prevention of Smallpox
When smallpox was widespread, there was no specific antiviral therapy. Care was mainly supportive in nature, that is, managing symptoms and complications. With the eradication of the global existence of smallpox, treatments tend to be strictly more theoretical and thus more research-based antivirals in progress.
Support Care:
Mostly, the supportive care measures constituted the treatment for the smallpox. Such supportive care included hydration, fever, and pain management. Supportive care served to keep discomfort under control but did nothing to counteract the virus. Secondary infections with bacteria, such as a skin infection or pneumonia, were treated using appropriate antibiotics.
Vaccination:
The most excellent protection against smallpox was vaccination. The smallpox vaccine consisted of the vaccinia virus (a closely related virus that does not cause disease in humans). This meant that if vaccinated people were infected with smallpox, they either would not become sick or else their symptoms would be much less severe. Routine smallpox vaccination is no longer done. However, certain doctors, laboratory technicians, and members of the military receive the vaccine as a precaution.
Antiviral Agents:
Since the smallpox eradication, researchers have focused on antiviral drugs in case of a bioterrorism attack with the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two antivirals—tecovirimat and Brin cidofovir—for the treatment of smallpox. Though not yet extensively used, they would provide options in an outbreak.
Isolation and quarantine Isolation and quarantine have been in practice for the prevention of epidemics mainly through smallpox for a long time. People suffering from smallpox were isolated to avoid its transmission. Their care providers and caregivers wore the right protective clothing to avoid transmission.
Psychological Support to Patients of Smallpox and Children
While the smallpox threat is almost nil now, children who have suffered from that in the past or those who are suffering from other similar diseases, like chickenpox, require psychological and psychosocial support. Children whose scars are ugly or those who had their health badly affected over a long period of time could not handle the problem related to self-esteem. Counseling, support from the family, and educational intervention facilitated rehabilitation for these children.
Conclusion
One of the most devastating of diseases once ravaged millions of children around the world when it was smallpox. One of the greatest public health successes is undoubtedly the outright eradication of smallpox, but its history cannot make us forget why vaccination, preventive measures, and rapid response to infectious diseases are so essential.
Since knowing the symptoms, side effects, and treatments of smallpox can signify how medicine and public health advancement can significantly reduce human suffering and prevent similar diseases from occurring later, the threat from the disease to us is no longer there today, but the aftermath reminds us of the importance of preparedness and the might of global health initiatives against infectious diseases.
