POXVIRUSES

Course overview

AS THE FIRST VIRUSES TO BE ACTUALLY VISUALIZED WITH MICROSCOPY, KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE POXVIRIDAE FAMILY OF VIRUSES HAS PROGRESSED. HISTORICALLY INFAMOUS FOR THE VARIOLA VIRUS (VARV), THE AGENT BEHIND SMALLPOX; A DISEASE TOUTED TO HOLD CAUSAL MORTALITY OF MORE HUMANS THAN ALL OTHER INFECTIOUS ETIOLOGIES PUT TOGETHER. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF NOT ONLY SMALLPOX, MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM, AND KNOWN ZOONOTIC FORMS THAT MADE THE INTERSPECIES JUMP TO HUMANS, WE HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TAKING APPROPRIATE MEASURES THAT WOULD LIKELY PREVENT THE NEXT PANDEMIC.