"smallpox"的定义和意义

Wha is "smallpox"?

Smallpox is a highly contagious and sometimes deadly infectious disease caused by the variola virus. It is characterized by fever and a distinctive skin rash consisting of small, raised bumps filled with fluid. The disease is spread through contact with the fluid from the blisters of an infected person or when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes, releasing saliva or mucus. Smallpox was completely wiped out in 1980 following a successful global vaccination campaign. Vaccination with the smallpox vaccine, which contains a live virus called vaccinia, provided immunity against the disease. Routine vaccination for smallpox is no longer necessary since the disease has been wiped out, but small amounts of the virus still exist in laboratories for research purposes.