Yes, smallpox is a harmful disease.
The Harmful Nature of Smallpox
Based on information from August 5, 2022, smallpox is definitively described as a serious and often deadly viral infection. This means it can have severe health consequences for those infected, including a high risk of death.
Key Impacts of Smallpox
- Severity: It is classified as a serious illness.
- Mortality: It is often deadly.
- Contagious: It is contagious, meaning it spreads easily from person to person, increasing its potential impact on populations.
- Physical Consequences: The infection can cause permanent scarring and sometimes leads to disfigurement.
Historically, smallpox affected humans for thousands of years, causing widespread harm and death, until it was successfully eradicated worldwide by 1980 due to the development and widespread use of smallpox vaccines.
