Variola

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Variola or smallpox is a contagious disease in humans caused by Variola major virus or Variola minor. This disease is known by its Latin name, Variola or Variola vera, derived from the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus which means "acne".

Variola appears in small blood vessels in the skin as well as in the mouth and throat. In the skin, this disease causes a rash, and then a fluid-filled wound. V. major causes a more serious illness with a 30-35% mortality rate. V. minor causes milder disease (also known as alastrim, cottonpox, milkpox, whitepox, and Cuban itch) that cause death in 1% of sufferers. The long-term consequences of V. major infection are scarring, commonly in the face, which occurs in 65-85% of patients.