Abstract

Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1978 and the world celebrated the victory over this disease. In recent years, however, it has been recognized that smallpox is once again a threat to the world, if used as a bioweapon. Even one case of smallpox would be considered a global emergency today. There is no cure for the disease, however, outbreaks can be contained by the use of quarantine and vaccination programs. Good nursing care has been the mainstay for treatment of smallpox in the past and would be in the future if smallpox were to reoccur. This poster will present the initial results from an ongoing qualitative study about experiences with the disease of smallpox. This is a history study blended with phenomenology in order to study the actual experiences of both survivors and caregivers of victims of smallpox. Background material gleaned from both modern and historical texts augment the data collected during interviews.