(D2OL)™ - Pathogens

Smallpox infection was eliminated from the world in 1977. Smallpox is caused by the variola virus. The incubation period is about 12 days (range: 7 to 17 days) following exposure. Initial symptoms include high fever, fatigue, and head and back aches. A characteristic rash, most prominent on the face, arms, and legs, follows in 2-3 days. The rash starts with flat red lesions that evolve at the same rate. Lesions become pus-filled and begin to crust early in the second week. Scabs develop and then separate and fall off after about 3-4 weeks. The majority of patients with smallpox recover, but death occurs in up to 30% of cases.

Smallpox is spread from one person to another by infected saliva droplets that expose a susceptible person having face-to-face contact with the ill person. Persons with smallpox are most infectious during the first week of illness, because that is when the largest amount of virus is present in saliva. However, some risk of transmission lasts until all scabs have fallen off. Routine vaccination against smallpox ended in 1972. The level of immunity, if any, among persons who were vaccinated before 1972 is uncertain; therefore, these persons are assumed to be susceptible.

Vaccination against smallpox is not recommended to prevent the disease in the general public and therefore is not available.

In people exposed to smallpox, the vaccine can lessen the severity of or even prevent illness if given within 4 days after exposure. Vaccine against smallpox contains another live virus called vaccinia. The vaccine does not contain smallpox virus.

The United States currently has an emergency supply of smallpox vaccine.

There is no proven treatment for smallpox but research to evaluate new antiviral agents is ongoing. Patients with smallpox can benefit from supportive therapy (intravenous fluids, medicine to control fever or pain, etc.) and antibiotics for any secondary bacterial infections that occur.

TARGET - Smallpox Proprietary One.

(D2OL)™ has identified the viable smallpox target, Smallpox Proprietary One and is rapidly screening existing chemical compounds to identify viable drug candidates against this scourge today, with the help of participants from all over the world. Your computer can help by contributing idle processing time to the (D2OL)™ network allowing us to focus tremendous computing and scientific resources toward this issue. Download the software now to contribute to the effort.

Research and development specific to smallpox has been effectively stopped since the early 80's when it was determined eradicated from the global population. There are currently no drugs capable of fighting the fatal effects of smallpox.

The D2OL product is focused on the identification of a small molecule drug capable of disabling the function of this key protein target identified as critical to Smallpox, thus killing the scourge.

Figure A

TARGET - Smallpox Proprietary Two.

Coming soon...

Figure B

this page last reviewed October 1, 2004