Smallpox
Current as of: June 9, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Christine Hahn, MD - Infectious Disease, Epidemiology
Smallpox is a potentially deadly infection caused by the variola virus. The infection causes severe illness, including a high fever, followed by a rash all over the body that looks like blisters. Smallpox symptoms develop about 12 days after exposure. The disease usually is not contagious until the rash first appears…