Download DNA -based Screening for Smallpox

DNA -based Screening for
Smallpox
• Smallpox is caused by variola virus
• Once it was the most common disease for
thousands of years.
• Mortality rate of 20 to 50%
• Those survived became disfigured by scars
and/or disabled by blindness
• Transmitted by direct contact, body fluids,
contaminated bedding and clothing
• Spread through the air in enclosed buildings
buses, trains
• Stable in aerosol, saliva
• Gets into the system through the respiratory
• tract
• 10 to 15 days for the symptom to show up.
• Headache, back pain, delirium – first
symptoms
• Into the bloodstream and infects the skin
• 3 days after the initial symptoms, skin
infection results
• Rash starts as a small red dot and that become
fluid filled pustule.
• Patient survives scabs are formed, which fall
off, leaving pitted scars
• Diagnosed based on the rash
• Conclusively diagnose small pox amplify DNA
using PCR and Gel electrophoresis
• A strain of variola causes monkeypox native
Africa.
• Transmitted by primate blood, bite. Can also be
transmitted from human to human
• Cowpox transmitted by direct contact with
infected udder
• Virus has DNA and replicates in the host cell
• 190,000 base pairs and 200 genes
• If the patient recovers, the patient becomes
immune to the infection.
• 1790s Edward Jenner took pus from pustules
of milkmaid with cowpox and injected into a
healthy young boy.
• He infected the boy with scabs from smallpox.
• He did not get smallpox which confirmed the
immunity.
• Was the birth of vaccination
• World Health Organization started worldwide
vaccination program to eradicate smallpox in
the 1950s.
• In 1980 WHO declared that smallpox has been
eradicated
• Official fear the virus can be reintroduced by
terrorists
• Most people would be susceptible since it is
believed the vaccine wears off in ten years
• Sprayed into airports crowded buildings
• One case spread the disease worldwide
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Possible bioterrorism scenario
FBI issues terrorist alert
Tighten security at sports event, concerts
Health officials are asked to keep and eye out
unusual medical cases
• 26 year old man, who attended a ball game,
comes to the emergency room with high fever
pustules
• Another family member had a similar problem
• Serological test to diagnose smallpox was
negative
• One of the physicians diagnosed the condition
as mokeypox
• Smallpox or monkeypox (milder disease)
• Fluid from the pustule sent to CDC for PCR
testing
• Our experiment is the simulation of the
molecular biology test