Smallpox

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/smallpox

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the causative agent?Variola virus (Orthopoxvirus genus)
2. What is the estimated emergence?Possibly 10,000 BCE in northeastern Africa or the Indian subcontinent
3. What caused smallpox and how did it spread?Smallpox was caused by the Variola virus. It spread through respiratory droplets and by touching infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects.
4. What were the two main forms of smallpox and how deadly were they?The more severe form, variola major, could kill up to 30% of people. The milder form, variola minor, had a death rate of about 1%.

Orthopoxvirus: A genus of viruses that includes the Variola virus, responsible for smallpox.
Vaccinology: The scientific study of vaccines, including their development, production, and use.
Epidemiology: The branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors affecting health.
Herd Immunity: The indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune due to vaccination or prior infection.