Smallpox immunity.

[Michael Weber]

Just curious if others here share this mutation? I have a natural immunity from Smallpox. I failed 3 attempts at vaccination as a child in the 50's. I never had that scar from the injection my peers had. Smallpox was a virus that killed millions over centuries notably in Northern Europe. Eventually someone or some people were born with a random gene mutation that prevented that particular virus from the ability to enter their cells and passed this mutation on. This has been an interesting thing to me most of my adult life. I have read of a couple of instances where a Smallpox immunity also provides protection to the HIV virus because it attacks human cells in the same manner as Smallpox. I've no proof or studies to back that statement. Just stories from high risk AIDS people who survived when all around them their friends were dying. They, perhaps coincidentally, shared the Smallpox immunity. It's unfortunate this particular mutation did not protect me from contracting another virus, Rubella or as it was called at the time German Measles, at 8 or 9. Nor other colds and various flu strains. At least not the ones I got lol.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Milk maids who were exposed to cowpox, usually didn't get smallpox. Maybe there is a milk maid in your ancestors.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Milk maids who were exposed to cowpox, usually didn't get smallpox. Maybe there is a milk maid in your ancestors.

I don't think milkmaid's resistance to either pox was genetic. IIRC they had repeated exposures to occupational hazard of cowpox, built an immunity to that, then the smallpox epidemics passed them by. Pasteur noticed and used cowpox in his early work on smallpox vaccine. At least that's what I remember, sans-Wiki.

This may not answer Michael's question, but anybody who had the smallpox vaccine, is now immune - at least as I understand the term. Smallpox has no natural reservoirs other than man and there have been no cases for years now. I'm not sure if they even do smallpox vaccinations for children anymore..?? Last story I saw on smallpox was regarding it being in 2 deep-freezes, 1 in US, 1 in Russia, only kept to allow more vaccine to be made - just in case a rogue 'state' weaponized it.