What is the Treatment of Smallpox?

There is no treatment for smallpox once a person contracts the disease. Treatment includes medications to relieve the symptoms of cold and flu in the disease, supportive therapy as needed and antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections.

Vaccination is the only way to prevent the disease. However, vaccination has been discontinued for the general population worldwide after 1980 and currently some military personnel (who might be exposed to smallpox as a biological weapon) and some health care workers (who work with the virus or are exposed to the infection) are vaccinated. But the United stated has enough vaccine stored to inoculate every man, woman and child in the United States in case of a bioterrorist attack with smallpox.

In case of exposure, smallpox vaccination within 3 days can completely prevent infection or significantly decrease the severity of disease in most patients. Vaccination within 4 to 7 days after exposure also offers some protection against contracting the disease. Vaccination is not effective after the signs and symptoms develop. The vaccine offers protection from smallpox for about 3 to 5 years.

Besides immediate vaccination, physical isolation to prevent spread of smallpox is recommended. Isolation just contains the spread of the virus and does not eradicate it. Experiences from the eradication campaign show that physical isolation is essential to break the chain of transmission. Everyone who has or will come into close contact with the patient should be vaccinated.

However there is continuing research for medicines for smallpox due to the bioterrorism threat. At present the anti-viral drug cidofovir, has shown promise in laboratory studies.

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