Eurosurveillance, Volume
9, Issue
12,
01 December 2004
Guidelines
Bichat guidelines for the clinical management of smallpox and bioterrorism-related smallpox
P Bossi1, A Tegnell2, A Baka3, F van Loock2, A Werner2, J Hendriks4, Heinrich Maidhof2, Georgios Gouvras2
Citation style for this article: Bossi P, Tegnell A, Baka A, van Loock F, Werner A, Hendriks J, Maidhof H, Gouvras G. Bichat guidelines for the clinical management of smallpox and bioterrorism-related smallpox. Euro Surveill. 2004;9(12):pii=502. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=502
Date of submission:
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Philippe Bossi*, Anders Tegnell, Agoritsa Baka, Frank Van Loock, Jan
Hendriks, Albrecht Werner, Heinrich Maidhof, Georgios Gouvras
Task Force on Biological and Chemical Agent Threats, Public Health Directorate,
European Commission, Luxembourg
*Corresponding author: P. Bossi, Pitié-Salpêtrière
Hospital, Paris, France, email: philippe.bossi@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
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Smallpox is a viral infection caused by the
variola virus. It was declared eradicated worldwide by the Word Health
Organization in 1980 following a smallpox eradication campaign. Smallpox
is seen as one of the viruses most likely to be used as a biological
weapon. The variola virus exists legitimately in only two laboratories
in the world. Any new case of smallpox would have to be the result of
human accidental or deliberate release. The aerosol infectivity, high
mortality, and stability of the variola virus make it a potential and
dangerous threat in biological warfare. Early detection and diagnosis
are important to limit the spread of the disease. Patients with smallpox
must be isolated and managed, if possible, in a negative-pressure room
until death or until all scabs have been shed. There is no established
antiviral treatment for smallpox. The most effective prevention is vaccination
before exposure.
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