Smallpox is a contagious disease and can sometimes be fatal caused by the variola virus . The variola virus will cause a red rash contains fluid around the surface of the skin on the patient .
Most people never heard of smallpox . But the reality is , not everyone knows exactly what the disease is . Not to mention there is a term that is increasingly mixed , between smallpox , chicken pox , smallpox snake , and monkey pox .
Here the author outlines the diseases are similar but not the same true , such as :
smallpox
Smallpox in medical language called variola , it is in English called small pox . Diseases caused by viruses poks ( pox virus ) has existed since centuries ago and is highly contagious .
Symptoms that occur to those who are infected with the fever , and bubbles appear simultaneously pus in the skin areas of the face, hands , feet , and finally the whole body . The disease is often fatal, especially if the infant or elderly . For those who can heal too, will give a mark on the skin in the form of pockmarks .
Fortunately , this disease is no longer the world . In the 19th century , all over the world to get rid of this disease by immunization . In parts of Indonesia , measles immunization has been carried out since 1856, by the Dutch Government .
After a long process and hard work , finally the disease is not found again in Indonesia since 1974 and the subsequent WHO Indonesia set free from smallpox . Thanks to the cooperation of all the world , 1980 was finally declared the world free of smallpox .
Along with the destruction of the smallpox , finally since then no longer required smallpox vaccination . News and discussion was increasingly disappearing . Not surprisingly , there are also some people finally laymen who have never heard of and unfamiliar with the smallpox .
chickenpox
Chicken pox , although the name is similar to smallpox , a disease that is different . Chicken pox , in medical language called varicella , and in English called chicken pox . The disease is caused by a virus called varicella - zoster virus .
Similar to chickenpox , the symptoms appear equally there is fever . However, there are differences in the bubbles that appear small and not simultaneously , starting from the patient's body and then spread to other limbs . In general , chickenpox disease is much lighter and not as dangerous as smallpox .
This disease vaccination actually been there long enough , but until now has not been done in Indonesia . Chickenpox vaccination until today has not been part of the basic immunization program is required , the cost is still expensive considering that not everyone is able to reach .
Indonesian Pediatric Association ( IDAI ) currently chickenpox immunization schedule is for children aged 10 years and over , if it has not had chicken pox . However, if desired , and it is capable , the vaccine must have been given after the age of 1 year , and repeated 10 years later to protect it as an adult .
smallpox Snake
Despite its name, the snake smallpox , the disease is not caused by a snake . Smallpox is a snake lay name for Shingles disease . This disease is a form of disease reactivation of chicken pox ( varicella ) who had suffered a previous one .
Keep in mind , when a person is exposed to varicella-zoster virus infection for the first time , then there will be chicken pox disease . Once cured , the virus has not disappeared entirely from the patient's body , but dwells in the patient's body , precisely in peripheral nerve ganglion sufferers . Viruses that dwells in the patient's body can reappear at any time and cause a disease called Herpes Zoster .
Although there is a virus in the body , but most people do not experience disease Herpes Zoster . This is due to a good immune system can suppress the virus is growing . Instead , the person who is being decreased immunity , the disease often appear suddenly attacked .
Symptoms that occur in this disease initially almost the same as chicken pox , the fever and the body feels sore . Furthermore, slightly different from the chicken pox disease , although the same virus that causes it . In Shingles , bubbles appear in a group that resembles the line width on the basis of skin redness , which arises from the back of the body and spread to the front on one side of the body .
Maybe because the picture of a snake image disorders like this , then there is menemakannya smallpox snake . Actually, these bubbles can appear anywhere on the body , including the face , but the most common is from the back to the chest .
There is a myth that says, if a row of bubbles emerging from both sides of the body , and both ends meet , it will be fatal. This myth is not right , but there are elements of truth as well . Clearly , the rows of bubbles was generally appear only on one side only .
If they appear on both sides , meaning the infection is very severe , and the patient endurance in a very weak state and poor . Surely such a physical condition is indeed a risk that can be fatal . Although rare , cases like this can be found in patients who received immunosuppressive therapy ( suppression of the immune system ) in the high -dose or long -term in people with HIV / AIDS .
Monkey pox
The term monkey pox is relatively not as popular as smallpox other terms mentioned above . This disease is the scientific name bullous impetigo , or some are called bullous impetigo - vesikulo . In contrast to other types of smallpox caused by a viral infection , monkey pox is caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus .
Clinically , the patient did not have a fever or general symptoms such as chicken pox or herpes zoster . Symptoms obtained is the emergence of bubbles , especially in the armpits , chest , and back . This rapidly emerging bubble burst and there were not so many , but often times accompanied by miliaria ( prickly heat ) .
This disease is not as heavy as other diseases , because it is limited to only the skin layer . But of course it does not mean do not need to be treated . Moreover, because the cause is bacterial , the antibiotics necessary to destroy it rubbed on the affected place .
Some say , the disease is called monkey pox , which causes abnormalities in the skin appear to the layman is a little more similar to smallpox . While the origin associated with monkeys , presumably because generally once itchy skin and often causes sufferers scratching his body constantly .. like a monkey .
