Is it because the thinner skin?

I am not convinced that it only infects humans, but if so this is because the smallpox virus evolved to function in human hosts.

Many diseases are quite host specific. Influenza is a disease of humans. Foot and mouth infects cattle and a few other species. 

There are a few diseases (zoonoses) which can be transmitted from animals to humans such as rabies, Ebola, cowpox, ...

36 minutes ago, cheetaman said:

Is it because the thinner skin?

Thinner than what?

4 hours ago, Strange said:

Thinner than what?

I think he means that we appear to have thinner skin compared to other animals. 

The main transmission route is via inhalation, and subsequent infection via mucous surfaces. So skin thickness is not an issue. And of course animals have a wide range of different skin composition (not to mention that thickness even varies between body location), i.e. humans do not have thinner skin compared to other animals per se.

20 minutes ago, CharonY said:

 i.e. humans do not have thinner skin compared to other animals per se.

Some of the reactions to criticism by OPs in the Speculation subforum suggest otherwise.

It can actually infect other species, just not normally.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2004/10/monkeys-serve-first-animal-model-smallpox

 

Somewhat interesting still using live cow pox to vaccinate against small pox.

26 minutes ago, Endy0816 said:

It can actually infect other species, just not normally.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2004/10/monkeys-serve-first-animal-model-smallpox

 

Somewhat interesting still using live cow pox to vaccinate against small pox.

AFAIK only research workers working on the virus get vaccinated now. The last case was in 1978 was when a lab researcher caught it.

Quote

Why only human can get smallpox?

 

"Experimental smallpox in chimpanzees"

"In an attempt to prepare highly specific antiserum to variola virus, a chimpanzee was inoculated with a virulent human strain of this virus. Three uninoculated chimpanzees were housed in the same room; two of these developed clinical disease with seroconversion, while the third developed no evidence of infection and no antibody. The three animals that became ill also developed antibody to vaccinia and monkeypox viruses. Human contacts during the study and following a break in containment showed no evidence of infection as determined by serological tests and lack of clinical disease."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2395827/

 

There is more of such experiments, if you will search for keyword e.g. "smallpox chimpanzee"..

 

6 hours ago, StringJunky said:

AFAIK only research workers working on the virus get vaccinated now. The last case was in 1978 was when a lab researcher caught it.

US's Military is vaccinated. Are pretty low odds of ever running into it though.

1 hour ago, Endy0816 said:

US's Military is vaccinated. Are pretty low odds of ever running into it though.

It probably has the  highest risk of being used as a bioweapon, if one was ever going to be used.

Isn't smallpox thought to have jumped from cows to humans? 

7 hours ago, StringJunky said:

It probably has the  highest risk of being used as a bioweapon, if one was ever going to be used.

Yeah, that's true. I sometimes wonder if we're not overdoing it vaccinating everyone though, unless it is to provide some herd immunity via people leaving the service.

On 3/21/2018 at 7:38 PM, Strange said:

Influenza is a disease of humans.

Nit-picking, but this is not correct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza#Other_animals

6 hours ago, pavelcherepan said:

Nit-picking, but this is not correct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza#Other_animals

Good point. But the various strains are fairly specific to animal types. Avian flu is rarely transmitted to and between humans (and vice versa). 

On 22/3/2018 at 11:00 PM, Endy0816 said:

Yeah, that's true. I sometimes wonder if we're not overdoing it vaccinating everyone though, unless it is to provide some herd immunity via people leaving the service.

We're not vaccinating everyone with smallpox, because there is no need . 

We are vaccinating against diseases that are still around. If it wasn't for stupid anti-vaxxers, we wouldn't need a measles vaccination anymore, because it would have been extinct by now; polio would also be very close to extinction.

As long as the anti-vaxxers keep getting their children infected, everyone else needs the vaccinations.

1 hour ago, Bender said:

We're not vaccinating everyone with smallpox, because there is no need . 

We are vaccinating against diseases that are still around. If it wasn't for stupid anti-vaxxers, we wouldn't need a measles vaccination anymore, because it would have been extinct by now; polio would also be very close to extinction.

As long as the anti-vaxxers keep getting their children infected, everyone else needs the vaccinations.

Sorry, should specify talking about the US Military program.

On 3/22/2018 at 2:20 AM, NimrodTheGoat said:

I think he means that we appear to have thinner skin compared to other animals. 

 

I think he cant understand.

10 hours ago, cheetaman said:

 

I think he cant understand.

The "he" referred to here is you, so now I am the one that doesn't understand. Would you like to explain?