What is another word for variola?
Pronunciation: [vˌe͡əɹɪˈə͡ʊlə] (IPA) 
Variola is a virus that causes smallpox, a highly infectious disease that was eradicated in 1980. In the medical field, variola is commonly referred to as Variola major or Variola minor depending on the severity of the strain. Synonyms for variola include the following medical terms: Orthopoxvirus variola, smallpox virus, and human poxvirus 1. Other terms used to describe smallpox include the "speckled monster," "sorbus," "blue blister," or "red plague." These synonyms relate to the visual symptoms of the disease, which were characterized by fever, rash, and pustules that left scars on the skin. Despite the eradication of smallpox, variola remains an important virus in the scientific community for research purposes.
