Smallpox
Meaning of smallpox: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, smallpox means a clinical illness caused by infection with the variola virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus, which has been confirmed by laboratory testing. Symptoms and signs may include an acute onset of fever, prostration, headache, body aches and a vesicular or pustular rash. (3) While smallpox attracts ICD-10-AM code B03, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of smallpox is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Ninth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2015, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-020-5.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 89 of 2016
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting smallpox or death from smallpox with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being exposed to the variola virus within the four weeks before the clinical onset of smallpox;
Note: being exposed to the variola virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)for death from smallpox only, being pregnant within the six weeks before the clinical onset of smallpox;
- (3)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for smallpox;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(3) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 90 of 2016
3 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, smallpox or death from smallpox is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being exposed to the variola virus within the four weeks before the clinical onset of smallpox;
Note: being exposed to the variola virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)for death from smallpox only, being pregnant within the six weeks before the clinical onset of smallpox;
- (3)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for smallpox;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(3) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
