How is smallpox treated

In some cases, smallpox may cause blindness. In the event of an outbreak, people who had smallpox would be kept in isolation in an effort to control the spread of the virus. Anyone who had contact with someone who developed an infection would need a smallpox vaccine, which can prevent or lessen the severity of the disease if given within four days of exposure to the smallpox virus.

Two vaccines are available. One vaccine ACAM uses a live virus that's related to smallpox, and it can occasionally cause serious complications, such as infections affecting the heart or brain.

That's why it's not recommended that everyone be vaccinated at this time. The potential risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits, in the absence of an actual smallpox outbreak. A second vaccine, a modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine Jynneos , has been found to be safe, and it can be used in people who aren't able to take ACAM, who have weakened immune systems or who have skin disorders.

Immunity or partial immunity after a smallpox vaccine may last up to 10 years, and 20 years with revaccination. If an outbreak ever occurred, people who were vaccinated as children would still likely receive a new vaccination after direct exposure to someone with the virus.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Smallpox is a contagious, disfiguring and often deadly disease that has affected humans for thousands of years.

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Table of Contents. Post-Exposure Vaccination. Antiviral Medications. Next in Smallpox Guide. Frequently Asked Questions Are smallpox and chickenpox related diseases? How do you treat smallpox? If I was vaccinated for smallpox am I immune to the disease? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Cann, J. Journal Of Comparative Pathology , 1 , Food and Drug Administration FDA approved tecovirimat also referred to as ST or its brand name Tpoxx , the first drug with an indication for treatment of smallpox. Tecovirimat has been used in the treatment of severe adverse events to vaccinia virus vaccination; however, there are limited efficacy data in humans.

Efficacy of tecovirimat treatment has also been demonstrated within multiple animal model studies measuring survival in animals infected with either variola virus or other closely related orthopoxviruses. Furthermore, treatment with tecovirimat minimized signs of morbidity as well as protected from mortality within prairie dogs challenged with monkeypox virus.

The safety of tecovirimat was evaluated in healthy human volunteers. The FDA Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously 17 to 0 that the benefits of tecovirimat treatment for smallpox outweigh its risks.

Efficacy of brincidofovir treatment has also been demonstrated within multiple animal model studies measuring survival in animals infected with either variola virus or other closely related orthopoxviruses. The safety of brincidofovir was evaluated for non-smallpox indications, primarily in people who received bone marrow transplants.

If you get the vaccine:. Currently, smallpox vaccines are not available to the general public because smallpox has been eradicated, and the virus no longer exists in nature. However, there is enough smallpox vaccine to vaccinate every person in the United States if a smallpox outbreak were to occur. For more details about the vaccine, see Smallpox Vaccine Basics. Because these drugs were not tested in people sick with smallpox, it is not known if a person with smallpox would benefit from treatment with them.

However, their use may be considered if there is ever a smallpox outbreak. Tecovirimat and cidofovir are currently stockpiled by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response ASPR external icon Strategic National Stockpile external icon , which has medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency, including one involving smallpox.

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