Orthopoxvirus/ Smallpox

1
Orthopoxvirus/ Smallpox

• Taxonomy
• Target Tissues
• Ecology
• Symptoms
• Treatments and Prevention
• Research

2
Taxonomy

• Variola Major
• Most Common
• Most Fatal
• Four Types
• 1)Ordinary
• 2)Modified
• 3)Flat
• 4)Hemorrhagic

• Variola Minor
• Less Common
• Less Fatal

3
Target Tissues

• Face
• Arms
• Legs

4
Ecology

• Smallpox has been eradicated from nature
• Only exists in laboratories for the purpose of
  creating vaccines and preventing bioterrorism.

5
Early Symptoms

1. Fever
2. Depression
3. Head and Body Aches
4. Vomiting

6
Later Symptoms

1. Rash 3) Pustules
2. Fever 4) Scabs

7
Treatments and Prevention
- Vaccination, but it doesnt work for everyone.
8
Research
Current research has been done to distinguish
between Old World and Current types of the
Orthopoxviruses by PCR and Electrophoresis of the
crmB gene.
9
Smallpox virus can be detected by PCR
amplification of the hemagglutinin gene and then
determining the melting point of the genes DNA
will result in the identification of the virus.
Research
10
References

1. Prescott, Lansing M., John P. Harley, Donald A.
   Klein, Microbiology, New York, McGraw-Hill 2002
2. Vladimir N. Loparev, Robert F. Massung, Joseph J.
   Esposito, Hermann Meyer Detection and
   Differentiation of Old World Orthopoxviruses
   Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of the
   crmB Gene Region JCM Vol. 39, 2001, 94-100
3. Mark J. Espy, Franklin R. Cockerill III, Richard
   F. Meyer, Michael D. Bowen, Gregory A. Poland,
   Ted L. Hadfield, Thomas F. Smith, Detection of
   Smallpox Virus DNA by Lightcycler PCR JCM Vol.
   40, 2002, 1985-1988
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
   12/12/02 US Department of Health and Human
   Services, 12/7/02/12/10/02 www.cdc.gov