Re: MtMan-List: 1837 Smallpox

["Kirk L. Davis" <kirk.davis@m.cc.utah.edu>]

At 08:23 PM 6/16/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Hi.  I've been wondering for some time about the smallpox outbreak of
>1837 along the Missouri River.  According to David Wishart (The Fur

snip

>infected?  Could smallpox have survived for very long in goods like
>clothing or blankets?  And if so how long?  Is there a doctor in the
>tipi?
>
There is a series of letters in the "Lancet" a British medical journal
1985 v.1, pp.291.  Several researchers indicate that the virus was stored
at room temperature (tightly closed jar) for several years.  One reported 
a 13 year survival for a sample of the smallpox virus.  The debate seemed
to be on whether archeologist should consider getting vaccinated since
the long term survival could be much longer.


Kirk L. Davis		kirk.davis@m.cc.utah.edu
Salt Lake City, UT      !!!!GO JAZZ!!!!!