Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Exam Prep 2026 – Complete Practice Resource

Smallpox lesions typically progress through a well-defined series of stages, beginning with macules that evolve into papules. Eventually, these papules develop into vesicles and then form blisters filled with a thick, cloudy fluid. This indicates that the disease progresses from superficial to more severe skin manifestations over several days. The appearance of fluid-filled blisters is a characteristic hallmark of smallpox lesions, which can significantly contribute to the disease's contagiousness and severity. The progression to vesicle formation is a critical aspect of the clinical presentation of smallpox and is essential for diagnosis and understanding the disease's timeline.