smallpox, one of the most deadly viruses to infect humans, just got a reprieve of his own death sentence this week. According to a senior official at the White House, President Bill Clinton signed a memorandum ordering the US not to seek the destruction of smallpox currently held stocks in high security laboratories in Russia and the US officials. The action marks a reversal of the position of the government; for the last 3 years, US health authorities have supported a policy adopted by the leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, calling for the annihilation of all smallpox samples in June 1999.
WHO eradication the plan-- now in question - began in 1967, when about 10 million people worldwide were infected with smallpox. In an all-out immunization program, WHO quickly overthrew the number of cases. In 1980, no new smallpox infection were reported, and routine vaccination began to decline. In 1983, the WHO members decided to turn on all the live smallpox samples to two standards: The US Centers for the Research Institute for Viral Preparations in Moscow Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. In 1996, WHO leaders proposed to destroy these stocks, too. The only member of WHO was openly oppose Russia, which argued that the samples should be kept for biological research.
However, the US government "has never been unified" on the plan, an official of the White House staff said science NOW. Proponents of destruction continued argue that the virus is too dangerous to keep, as a tool for biological studies, but others -. especially defense officials - have argued that the US should not destroy its stocks of smallpox when researchers in other countries almost certainly have secret supplies. "the big problem," the official White House said, "is that if you destroy official stocks, you will not know that it's all gone." Recently, holding stocks defenders highlighted a new concern - the need to respond to bioterrorist threats. The only way to discourage the use of smallpox as a weapon, they say, is to develop new drugs and vaccines antipox. And that research requires live virus.
Such arguments have convinced the president to order a change of policy, to the disappointment of eradication supporters. According to the White House, US health officials will join Russians in June to urge WHO to change its mind as well -. Maybe give a dead killer line a new lease on life
0 Komentar