SMALLPOX

Smallpox

Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, derived from varius or varus . The disease was originally known in English as the "pox" or "red plague"; the term "smallpox" was first used in Britain in the 15th century to distinguish variola from the "great pox" . The last naturally occurring case of smallpox was diagnosed on 26 October 1977.

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smallpox

Noun

  1. An acute, highly infectious often fatal disease caused by a virus of the family Poxviridae. It was completely eradicated in the 1970s. Those who survived were left with pockmarks.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: smallpox
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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