Chickenpox historical perspective
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Seyedmahdi Pahlavani, M.D. [2]
Overview
Chickenpox was first described by Razi, an Iranian physician. In the mid-1500s, Giovanni Filippo described it in more details. The live attenuated vaccine for chickenpox was introduced in 1974.
Historical Perspective
- In the late 800’s and early 900’s AD, Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Razi, also known as Razi, reported some of the first known information on chickenpox and noted the differences between measles and smallpox.[1]
- In the 1500s, Giovanni Filippo, an Italian anatomist, described Varicella (chickenpox) for the first time.
- In the 1600s, Richard Morton, an English physician described chickenpox as a mild form of smallpox.
- In 1767, William Heberden from England, differentiated chickenpox from smallpox.
- In 1974, the live attenuated vaccine for chickenpox was developed.
- In 1995, the varicella vaccine was licensed and introduced.
References
- ↑ Weller, T. H. (1996). “Varicella: Historical Perspective And Clinical Overview”. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 174 (Supplement 3): S306–S309. doi:10.1093/infdis/174.Supplement_3.S306. ISSN 0022-1899.
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