Is smallpox still a threat to the human species?
Posted by | Posted in Science Debates, Society Debates
photo taken from amhist.ist.unomaha.edu
Is smallpox still a threat to the human species?
Note: Comments are moderated so be sure that your responses are expressed in a respectable and friendly way. We are here to express our thoughts toward controversial issues, not to scold or defame anyone. Watch what you say, and remember that by using this site, you agree to our Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.
Even though the last natural documented case was in 1975, there are two official live samples of the virus, one is in the possession of the U.S. Government while the other is in the hands of the Russian Government. However, it is almost certain terrorist groups have acquired the virus and could very well use it in a bio terrorist attack. Russian authorities have gone on record saying that they have created two tons of the smallpox virus to use in bio warfare, but plenty of it has been unaccounted for. They were doing this to put in a missile to send to American cities. What makes smallpox so deadly is that it is the most complex of all viruses, and the most deadly. Since it is highly contagious just through the air you breathe, millions can be infected easily. Also, the vaccine for it is only a small percentage in the world that even exists.
If infected the major, death is near 100%.
If you have the right doctor, then you are safe. I got the shot, but people overseas aren't that grateful.
Why do you ask this question?
No virus ever has been totally eradicated, nor will they ever be.
My not-so-humble opinion.
There are currently no shots available for smallpox, doctors today don't even know how to identify it.
Because of bioterrorism. Don't you see that risk of the unaccounted smallpox that terorrists could use with a missile?
They wouldn't waste their time on that. Most people in the United States got the vaccine anyway.
"After the events of September and October, 2001, however, the U.S. government took further actions to improve its level of preparedness against terrorism. One of many such measures—designed specifically to prepare for an intentional release of the smallpox virus—included updating and releasing a smallpox response plan. In addition, the U.S. government has enough vaccine to vaccinate every person in the United States in the event of a smallpox emergency."
Source: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/...
Yea, the government is more secure than people think.
I think small pox is a problem, however I don't think it's one of our truly major concerns right now. The CDC and medical community have had a pretty good responce to swine flu these past few months such that deaths and infection are pretty well controlled. It's certainly not like the1918 pandemic where they didn't have the communication and medical infrastructure to deal with it. Likewise just as there is a swine flu vaccination there is also a small pox vaccine, The government of the United States has on hand an immediate 160 million vaccines for distribution. Thats half the US population immediately protected from the disease. Although small pox is extremely deadly, even the minor strain has a 30% mortality rate, those figures you read are from the last reported cases which were nearly 40 years ago in this country alone. Modern medicine, painkillers, better antibiotics all of these will insure a larger recovery percentage.
Why do you say it is "almost certain" that terrorist groups have the virus? The two labs keeping it in deep freeze are operated and guarded by the military in each country, and would be treated as more sensitive than a nuclear weapon. The risk is not zero, but "almost certain" is far too pessimistic.
That seems to miss the point: smallpox cannot survive outside of the human body, except in a medical lab freezer. The virus has indeed been eradicated in the population. The only reason to qualify this success is the decision to preserve samples for potential research reasons. That choice seems pretty compelling: if the two lab samples were killed, the virus would indeed be extinct and unrecoverable. The threat would be gone, but so would the potential medical knowledge.
Well put. The existence of an effective vaccine lowers the severity of the hypothetical threat of someone stealing the frozen virus from a lab guarded by the military *and* then succeeding in getting it back into the population spreading out of control.
Neither painkillers nor antibiotics are effective against any viral infection (other than easing the pain). However we do have several anti-viral treatments now, such as Tamiflu and anti-retrovirals. None of these were available when smallpox was at large, so there's no evidence whether they're effective for that, but they might work.
I'll add one more comment on "nor will [any virus] ever be" totally eradicated. We're far along in pushing polio to eradication from the human population as well – another virus spread only person to person and lacking any reservoir outside the human body. There have been frustrations and setbacks in the final stages, but there's still a chance that polio can be completely controlled. If so, then once again we'll have to debate whether to preserve samples in two guarded freezers (probably yes, again, for future research.)