Alastrim was first identified in the late 1800s in Africa and the Americas. Unlike variola major, which killed roughly 30% of those it infected, alastrim had a . This lower lethality created a unique challenge:
: Because it was less severe, many people initially mistook it for chickenpox or other minor rashes.
Alastrim, also known as , is the less famous but equally significant "younger sibling" of the deadly smallpox virus (variola major). While classic smallpox devastated civilizations for millennia, alastrim emerged in the late 19th century as a milder, though still dangerous, global threat. 🦠 The "Milder" Killer
