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A virulent dilemma
The smallpox virus still exists at two high-security labs. Should these stocks
now be destroyed?
05:55 AM Feb 19, 2011
by Robin McKie and Gabriel Stargardter THE GUARDIAN
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he says.
This argument is backed by security expert Jonathan Tucker of Darmstadt University. "If
the authorised stocks of the virus were eliminated, it would become possible to draw a
clear red line and brand any possession, synthesis or hostile use of the variola virus as a
crime against humanity, punishable with the most severe economic, political and military
sanctions."
How these arguments will influence the World Health Assembly is difficult to assess. It is
possible it may vote for destruction but for the US and Russia to refuse. Another scenario
might see an agreement to destroy most samples, but retain a handful as last resorts.
(CDC has 451 samples at present, Vector 120.) Or it may simply agree to the status quo.
In any case, eradication of the US and Russian samples would not necessarily wipe out
smallpox for eternity. Its genome is known and scientists, using the latest in DNA
technology, could recreate the virus from scratch, a point stressed by Dr Inger Damon.
"Biology has now advanced to the stage where it is no longer inconceivable that one could
put together a virus as large as the smallpox variola using synthesised nucleic acids," she
says. "This is all the more reason, I believe, for keeping the natural variety in safe
containment for future study."
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