Smallpox in Birmingham!

On August 11, 1978 Janet Parker, a medical photographer at University of Birmingham Medical School, in the United Kingdom, fell ill with headache and pains in her muscles. She begins to develop a rash that the doctors assume is just a benign rash. Not until 14 days later does she finally get confirmation on the true cause of her illness. She has contracted Variola major, the worst form of the virus causing smallpox. On September 11, 1978, one month after first becoming ill, she dies becoming the last person to die from smallpox. Her mother became infected but did not die from smallpox. Two Biomedical Scientist, the equivalent to a medical technologist in England, were also quarantined until October 10, 1978. It was determined that she contracted the virus from faulty ventilation from the laboratory on a floor below that was conducting research on the virus. I think this makes a very good case for the importance of laboratory safety. Ironically enough thought she had been vaccinated for smallpox in 1966. But the problem with the vaccine is initial vaccination only provides a high level of protection for 3 to 5 years. In 1796 Edward Jenner discovered that a person could be immunized from smallpox by being exposed to cowpox. Cowpox along with the Variola virus is a member of the Poxviridae family. Current vaccines use the Vaccinia virus which is also a member of Poxviridae. Talking of smallpox reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of House, a medical television show that aired on the Fox network. The episode was titled “A Pox on Our House” and if you ever get a chance to watch it I recommend it(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sq5iXIc1fw). So now to what makes it difficult for medical professional like you and I to watch medical programs. In the episode they are fearful that the father of the suspected infected girl has also been exposed to the virus so he is given the vaccine by the CDC. Dr. House who has decided that the girl doesn’t have smallpox becomes confused when the father starts to develop a rash very similar to smallpox. The brilliant Dr. House decides that the father must have contracted smallpox from the vaccine. So there lies what we should all have a problem with. The vaccine is made up of a live virus but it is the Vaccinia virus and not the Variola virus. Not to say that the vaccine doesn’t have problems but you cannot get smallpox from the vaccine.