The Dhaka Times Desk Smallpox virus, one of the deadliest in history, was eradicated from the world in 1979, but there is a stockpile of the virus in a specially guarded laboratory in a special chamber in America, which the US administration does not want to completely destroy.
The dreaded smallpox virus killed 300 million people in the 20th century alone. Over the centuries, smallpox has killed a third of people. After the successful development of a safe smallpox vaccine, the disease was completely eradicated from the world in 1979. However, although smallpox was eradicated from the world at that time, the virus is still stored in two heavily guarded laboratories in the United States and Russia. There, more detailed research on this virus continues. Meanwhile, in the future, smallpox infection will occur again in the world, but a special vaccine has been invented to prevent it.
WHO member countries had long ago decided that live virus stocks would be destroyed once the disease was eradicated. However, no decision was taken at that time as to when exactly the virus would be destroyed. As a result, the health ministries of various countries now think that this virus should be destroyed now. However, the US administration disagrees and they feel that the time has not come to destroy this virus.
Meanwhile, various circles think that if this virus is in the hands of a single country, it is likely to be used as a biological weapon in the future. Moreover, it is also being considered whether the disease can spread due to terrorist attacks or laboratory accidents. World health ministers will meet again at the end of this month to decide on this virus.
Various health research organizations believe that this virus needs to be eradicated now. They say, thanks to synthetic biology, it is becoming possible to make this virus 'artificially'. However, this technology has both good and bad sides. "Lim Lee Ching" of the Third World Network thinks the time has come to destroy the smallpox virus called "Variola". The organization is engaged in lobbying on behalf of developing countries and supports the eradication of the smallpox virus. Lim Lee Ching said smallpox research has been effectively successful and the case for destroying stocks of the virus is stronger than ever.
Why the United States opposes the destruction of its stockpile of the dreaded smallpox virus despite the views of all international health organizations remains a mystery and a mystery to the world.
Source: Daily Mail
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