Even though 1932 marked the last time someone received treatment for smallpox in the state, the Medical Reserve Corps recently trained to prepare for an outbreak.

According to Kathleen Downey, Marion’s public nurse, the group trains for a wide variety of emergency situations, such as responding to bioterrorism or disaster relief, and is always looking for more volunteers.

“We step in any time a disaster threatens the health and well being of the community,” Downey said. “Our goal is to have everyone work like clockwork when faced with an emergency.”

Last week, members of the Medical Reserve Corps, which includes residents from Marion, Rochester, Mattapoisett and surrounding towns, met in Sippican School.

Katie Reilly, an infectious disease response nurse for the state, spoke about the threat of bioterrorism in general, and about smallpox specifically.

A highly contagious virus, smallpox is one of two diseases that has been completely eradicated from nature.

But that doesn’t mean an outbreak is impossible, according to Reilly.

Virus samples remain in two facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. and a Russian research facility.

With widespread instability in Russia following the Cold War, it’s possible some of those samples are no longer secure Reilly said.

Routine vaccinations for the disease stopped around 1974 after a successful public health campaign.

Because of that the vast majority of the world’s population has no defense should the virus be used as a weapon.

Last July, vials of smallpox were discovered in a federal laboratory in Maryland.

“We’re worried it could be in other places,” Reilly said. In the event of an outbreak, Reilly said health workers have 72 hours to provide immunizations. Receiving a vaccination following exposure prevents or diminishes symptoms for most.

“It doesn’t guarantee they won’t get the disease, but it will lessen the severity of the symptoms,” she said.

Another issue with smallpox, in addition to its 30 percent mortality rate, is the fact that health care workers may confuse the disease with chickenpox, which presents with similar symptoms early on.

“Since no one’s seen it in forty years there’s a worry that front line providers will confuse it with chickenpox,” Reilly said. “Not many people have seen it.”

She explained that the chickenpox rash is concentrated in the torso, while the smallpox rash presents on the extremities.

In the event of an outbreak, there are 200 million doses of the vaccine stored in the CDC’s strategic national stockpile. Reilly said doses can be shipped to anywhere in the country within a few days.

Following the presentation, Medical Reserve Corps members practiced how they would administer the vaccine. Instead of a shot, a needle is dipped in a vial holding the vaccine. Patients then receive 15 pokes in the arm with the needle.

For more information on the Medical Reserve Corps or to volunteer, call the Marion Board of Health at 508-748-3530.