Smallpox Virus: Stored for Research, Guarded for Security.!
Smallpox has plagued humanity for centuries, causing widespread epidemics and causing millions of deaths. However, thanks to a successful global vaccination campaign by the World health Organization (WHO), smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, becoming the first and only human disease to be eradicated.
Smallpox virus stocks are strictly regulated and managed under the supervision of the WHO. Extensive biosecurity and biosecurity measures have been put in place to ensure the virus remains contained and does not pose a public health threat. Research involving live poxvirus is tightly controlled and confined to specialized laboratories with the highest level of security known as Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facilities.
The management and regulation of smallpox virus stockpiling continue to be the subject of ongoing scientific and public health discussions and debates. The decision to permanently destroy remaining resources is a complex and multidata-faceted matter that involves scientific, ethical, and security considerations.
Smallpox virus stocks are strictly regulated and managed under the supervision of the WHO. Extensive biosecurity and biosecurity measures have been put in place to ensure the virus remains contained and does not pose a public health threat. Research involving live poxvirus is tightly controlled and confined to specialized laboratories with the highest level of security known as Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facilities.
The management and regulation of smallpox virus stockpiling continue to be the subject of ongoing scientific and public health discussions and debates. The decision to permanently destroy remaining resources is a complex and multidata-faceted matter that involves scientific, ethical, and security considerations.