Polio and the 'Pox: A Tale of Two Plagues

For our fourth episode, show hosts Dr. Vivian Vega and Dr. Jackie Sherbuk candidly admit that they've been spending a LOT of time thinking about "not-so-forgotten infectious diseases." These are syndromes that the public may not hear about everyday, but that are still very important to the medical community and to the public at large. Although it was the first human contagion ever successfully eradicated, Smallpox as a disease still looms large, not just as a potential agent of bioterrorism, but as a cousin (orthopoxvirus) to Monkeypox (Mpox), which is currently experiencing a deadly outbreak in Africa. In fact, the American Mpox vaccine given to many at-risk U.S. individuals in the 2022 outbreak was originally created as a Smallpox vaccine. Vivian shares the fascinating tale of the last ever case of Smallpox which unexpectedly took the life of an unlikely victim. Both hosts share information on the typical presentation of Smallpox in its victims and its distinct characteristics. The eradication of Smallpox still is considered one of the great accomplishments of Medicine. Next, Vivian and Jackie discuss another feared but not forgotten infectious illness, Polio. Once endemic, this waterborne illness once affected tens of thousands of victims across the U.S., and led to the closure of parks, swimming pools, schools, and other public places. This devastating illness was vanquished by the discovery of effective, easy to administer, and inexpensive vaccines. Even so, many victims lived out their lives in an iron lung, including Paul Alexander, a courageous American man who lived out the remaining 72 years of his life in such a device, passing away earlier this year. Despite the great accomplishments in the eradication of Polio, this small RNA virus is still endemic in a handful of countries, and a case prompting the mass vaccination of children was just reported in Gaza in late August 2024. In their ID news segment, there is plenty to discuss, including more information about the Listeria outbreak involving Boar's Head meat products, the Mpox Public Health Emergency declared by the WHO in Africa, and "Triple-E" (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) and West Nile virus cases being reported in areas of the U.S. Dr. Vega would like to give a special thank you to her good friend Mr Job Meiller for his musical contributions for our podcast. Thanks also to Dr. Ana Velez, our artistic contributor, for her painting used in our episode thumbnail.