Contents
Over half a century ago, a smallpox epidemic broke out in Wrocław. These were also the last cases of this disease in Poland. Although smallpox was diagnosed quite late, radical sanitary rules and compulsory vaccinations allowed the epidemic to be brought under control in a shorter time than expected.
- We are currently struggling with a growing wave of COVID-19 cases in Poland. Perhaps, in the most endangered regions of Poland, it will be necessary to introduce new restrictions. Quarantine will affect more and more people
- However, these are effective methods of fighting infectious diseases, as evidenced by, for example, the smallpox epidemic from 58 years ago
- A dangerous disease was brought to Wrocław by an SB officer who had returned from India. When the epidemic broke out, a strict sanitary regime was introduced. Breaking its rules was punishable by imprisonment – 15 years!
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Smallpox – an epidemic in Wrocław in 1963
Over half a century ago, the last smallpox epidemic in Poland broke out. At the end of May 1963, it was brought to Wrocław from India by an officer of the Security Service, Bonifacy Jedynak. A few days after his arrival, he felt bad (he had a fever, chills, muscle aches and pimples on his body) and on June 2 he was sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs hospital in Wrocław at ul. Ołbińska. He was misdiagnosed with malaria and was treated for the disease. After two weeks, he was discharged from the hospital. This was not the end, however, but only the beginning of the plague.
Immediately after that, the ward cleaning the room where Jedynak stayed fell ill, and a few days later her daughter, a nurse, was hospitalized. Also in these cases the diagnoses were wrong. The first one was diagnosed with chickenpox, the nurse was suspected of leukemia, as well as other diseases: scarlet fever and pneumonia. The maid’s daughter died on July 8, it was the first victim of the epidemic, although no one was aware of it yet. And the smallpox has already spread. The nurse, along with 30 other people, was involved in the preparations for her cousin’s wedding a few days before she was admitted to the hospital. The next people who came to the hospital were the son of a nurse and a doctor who initially treated a nurse.
The alarm bell did not go off until July 9. A few-year-old boy, who had been treated for chickenpox several days earlier, was sent to another hospital. He had a rash, and since he suffers from chickenpox only once in his life, the doctor of the Department of Health and Safety finally made the correct diagnosis. Immediately after that, the hospital was placed under quarantine. Some of the staff panicked and fled to the city, the Citizens’ Militia had to look for them.
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«The news that we have smallpox in town was a real shock. We did not understand where this dangerous disease came from in our latitude. And then the psychosis began, ”said Michał Sobków, then an ambulance doctor in Wrocław, a few years ago for Newsweek.
It took the medical services a month and a half to discover that they were dealing with smallpox in Wrocław.
Small pox
Smallpox (or black pox) is an acute, viral, infectious disease. It is caused by one of the varieties of the smallpox virus (variola minor or variola maior). It is one of the largest and most complex viruses, and it only takes a few particles to become infected.
The infection is transmitted through droplets or through direct contact, through contaminated clothing or bedding. The source of infection is man at every stage of the disease. Smallpox incubation period is on average 12-14 days. Mortality in unvaccinated people is around 30%. (although in some forms of the disease up to 90%).
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There are no standard treatments for smallpox. The main treatment is symptomatic, and in the event of bacterial superinfection, antibiotic therapy is administered. Vaccinations are effective.
1963 Smallpox. Quarantine and isolation
If now someone is complaining about the inconvenience of lockdown and quarantine, what were the residents of Wrocław supposed to say almost half a century ago?
On July 15, an anti-epidemic emergency was introduced in Wrocław, two days later – and almost 50 days after the first illness – an epidemic. The authorities realized that the matter was serious, so the actions taken were very radical. Wrocław was cut off from the rest of the country. «Wrocław was declared a closed city. Militia patrols were set up at the tollbooths to check those entering and leaving. In the absence of certificates of valid immunization, such persons were turned back “, wrote Tomasz Gałwiaczek in the article” Mortal harvest “in the IPN Bulletin. Within the Wrocław Province, the borders with Czechoslovakia and the GDR were closed.
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It was considered necessary to isolate the sick and those who had contact with them, as well as to limit contacts. The isolatories were created, smallpox hospitals were also created, facilities where the virus appeared, were quarantined, all events were canceled, swimming pools and bathing areas were closed. Posters with the slogan “Welcome without shaking hands” appeared in the city.
Disinfectants appeared in offices, mats were soaked in disinfectants in front of the buildings, door handles in houses were wrapped with bandages soaked in disinfectants. The sanitary services searched for people who had contact with the sick. Their names were made public.
For refusing treatment, undergoing quarantine or isolation, and as a result creating the risk of infecting other people, there were very high penalties, up to 15 years in prison.
Smallpox in 1963. Vaccinations
With the declaration of the epidemic, mass vaccination was ordered. Initially, they did not apply to the chronically ill and pregnant women, but with time the obligation was imposed on everyone, even newborns and people with contraindications to vaccinations.
Unvaccinated people, who did not have a valid immunization card with them, could not use public transport. “PKP, PKS, Orbis and PLL LOT ticket offices were ordered to sell tickets only upon presentation of a valid vaccination certificate,” wrote Gałwiaczek.
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Anyway, the penalties were more severe than just the “vaccine discrimination” that is currently being talked about in the context of the COVID-19 restrictions. Those who avoided vaccinations faced a sentence of three months in prison or 4,5 thousand. zł fine, or four times the average salary at that time.
Fortunately, the vaccination campaign proceeded fairly quickly. In the first days, almost 200 were vaccinated. people. Over time, the compulsion was extended beyond the Wrocław Province, but the obligation only applied to people traveling, i.e. pilgrimages or itinerant groups.
Ultimately, 98 percent were vaccinated against smallpox. residents of Wrocław. In the then province In Wrocław, the vaccine dose was administered to over 2,5 million people, and nationwide to 8-9 million.
Smallpox – recent cases
The last case of smallpox in Wrocław was found on September 10. It was also probably the last case of this disease in Poland. On September 19, the end of the epidemic was announced. During the visit, there were about 3,5 thousand people in hospitals and isolatories in Wrocław and the surrounding cities. people. The disease was diagnosed in 99 people, seven of them died. Among the victims were two doctors and two nurses. Almost a thousand health care workers were struggling with the epidemic, supported by 157 policemen.
Despite the restrictions on the city border, smallpox found its way to several other provinces, but there was no epidemic there.
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According to the estimates of the World Health Organization, the smallpox epidemic in Wrocław was to last two years. Two thousand were supposed to fall ill. people, 2 of which were fatal. The forecasts did not come true, mainly due to radical measures taken, although, according to many, the authorities were initially unable to cope with the epidemic.
On a global scale, smallpox was finally defeated several years later. On May 8, 1980, WHO officially confirmed that the disease was finally eradicated (completely eradicated).
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