Is smallpox History?

B9802018 Johnson

• eradicated [ɪˈrædɪˌketɪd] – to destroy or get rid of something completely, especially

something bad 根除的

• omnipresent [ˈɑmnɪ'prɛznt]– present everywhere 無所不在的；遍及各處的 

• pilgrim ['pɪlgrɪm]– a person who travels to a holy place for religious reasons 朝覲者；朝聖的人；香客

• rash [ræʃ]– an area of red spots on a person's skin, caused by an

illness or a reaction to something 皮疹；疹

• petechiae [pəˈtikɪə]– 瘀點 ,瘀斑

Vocabulary

• campaign [kæm'pen]– a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve

a particular social, commercial or political aim 運動（為社會、商業或政治目的而進行的一系列有計劃的活動）

• quarantine ['kwɔrənˈtin]– to put an animal or a person into quarantine （對動物或人）進行檢疫，隔離

• fortify ['fɔrtəˈfaɪ]– to make somebody/yourself feel stronger, braver, etc. （在物質或精神上）加強，增強

• arsenal ['ɑrsnəl]– a collection of weapons such as guns and explosives （統稱）武器

Vocabulary

• debatable [dɪ'betəbl]– not certain because people can have

different ideas and opinions about the thing being discussed 可爭辯的；有爭議的

• charity ['tʃærətɪ]– an organization for helping people in

need 慈善機構（或組織）• distract [dɪ'strækt]– to take somebody's attention away from

what they are trying to do 轉移（注意力）；分散（思想）；使分心

Vocabulary

Smallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans responsible for an estimated 300–500 million deaths during the 20th century alone. In the early 1950s an estimated 50 million cases of smallpox occurred in the world each year. As recently as 1967, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 15 million people contracted the disease and that two million died in that year. After successful vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the WHO certified the eradication of smallpox in December 1979.

Background knowledge

Many of us believe that any outbreak of infectious disease won’t affect us because of our lifestyle.

Q:Are you agree with this point of view or not? Why?

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In 1972, a pilgrim returned home with a fever. Two weeks later, 11 of his family members and friends developed fever. After four weeks, 150 people in the country are infected.

Q:Who can share the experience of the time during SARS?

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Although the government try to limited the damage, there were still 35 people died after the outbreak.

Q:What kinds of works did the government do to limit the damage?

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The last major European outbreak of smallpox was in 1972 in Yugoslavia, after a pilgrim from Kosovo returned from the Middle East, where he had contracted the virus. The epidemic infected 175 people, causing 35 deaths. Authorities declared martial law, enforced quarantine, and undertook widespread re-vaccination of the population, enlisting the help of the WHO.

Supporting idea

By the end of 1975, smallpox persisted only in the Horn of Africa. Conditions were very difficult in Ethiopia and Somalia, where there were few roads. Civil war, famine, and refugees made the task even more difficult. An intensive surveillance and containment and vaccination program was undertaken in early and mid-1977.

Supporting idea

Today, no more countries have enough vaccine to protect their citizens and it is impossible for the vaccine stockpile increased soon. The threat of smallpox seems to be more serious.

Q:Actually, the smallpox is eradicated since 1979. Why should we concern about this question?

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Even active the vaccine making program also needs 3 years to let the product available. If we don’t have enough vaccine, the fatality rate is estimated at least 30% in unvaccinated population.

Q:Imagine what will happen if the smallpox really outbreak?

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The only smallpox virus stocks are in Atlanta(America) and Koltsovo(Russia). The fate of these stocks is a debate.

Q:Should we destroy the smallpox virus?

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Only a concerted international effort to replenish vaccine supplies will afford us of safety from an epidemic of unknown proportions.

Q:Are you really agree with this point of view?

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Poliovirus Poliovirus, the causative agent of

poliomyelitis, is a human enterovirus and member of the family of Picornaviridae.

Supporting idea