What was the pox?

The English term pox was used to describe various eruptive diseases, including a pox disease that came to be known as smallpox. In the 16th century, variola became popularly known as the “small pox,” to distinguish it from syphilis (the “Great Pox”).

When was the smallpox pandemic in Britain?

The 1978 smallpox outbreak in the United Kingdom resulted in the death of Janet Parker, a British medical photographer, who became the last recorded person to die from smallpox.

What type of virus was smallpox?

Before smallpox was eradicated, it was a serious infectious disease caused by the variola virus. It was contagious—meaning, it spread from one person to another. People who had smallpox had a fever and a distinctive, progressive skin rash.

Did Queen Elizabeth have the pox?

It is known however that she contracted smallpox in 1562 which left her face scarred. She took to wearing white lead makeup to cover the scars. In later life, she suffered the loss of her hair and her teeth, and in the last few years of her life, she refused to have a mirror in any of her rooms.

How many died of smallpox in the UK?

Until the 19th century, smallpox is thought to have accounted for more deaths than any other single infectious disease, even plague and cholera [2–7]. In the city of London, England alone, more than 320,000 people are recorded to have died from smallpox since 1664.

When was smallpox last seen in UK?

In the summer of 1978, the last known case of smallpox was reported, claiming the life of 40-year-old medical photographer Janet Parker. But how did the disease, thought to have been eradicated across the world, come to be in Britain’s second city? It was Friday 11 August when Janet Parker first began to feel unwell.

Is chickenpox related to smallpox?

Chickenpox is the most important disease likely to be confused with smallpox. It is caused by a different virus. In smallpox, fever is present for 2 to 4 days before the rash begins, while with chickenpox, fever and rash develop at the same time.

When was the last case of smallpox in Britain?