Is smallpox contagious before a rash appears?
A person with smallpox is sometimes contagious with onset of fever (prodrome phase), but the person becomes most contagious with the onset of rash. Patients remain infectious until the last scab falls off. Is there any treatment for smallpox? Smallpox can be prevented through use of the smallpox vaccine, even if the vaccine is given within three days after exposure to smallpox. There is no proven treatment for smallpox, but research to evaluate new antiviral agents is ongoing. Preliminary results with the drug, cidofovir suggest it may be useful. (The use of cidofovir to treat smallpox or smallpox vaccine reactions should be evaluated and monitored by experts at NIH and CDC.) Patients with smallpox can benefit from supportive therapy (e. g., intravenous fluids, medicine to control fever or pain) and antibiotics for any secondary bacterial infections that may occur. THE VACCINE What is the smallpox vaccine, and is it still required? The smallpox vaccine is the only way to prevent smallp
