A controversy has hit the market over the destruction of the last remaining samples of the smallpox virus. World Health Organization is debating whether the time has finally come to destroy those last samples of smallpox. The viruses have been securely kept in some of the labs in Unites States and Russia.
The debate is going on the issue whether the samples of smallpox needed to be destroyed or not. The people who are favoring the destruction are of the view that any deliberate misuse of the virus may re-emerge the disease. But those opposing the destruction are of the point that since the viruses have been stored there for more than three decades, chance of anything happening worse is miniscule.
If all the samples are destroyed, then no samples will be left behind for further research. It will be dangerous to the children of our future generations. If by any chance, the disease comes back, then there will be no scope of research.
Smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases faced by mankind. The disease killed more than 300 million people alone in the 20th century. Those who did not die from the disease were left either blind or scarred. But due to a massive vaccination campaign against the disease, it got eliminated in the year 1980. In that year, WHO asked all the nations to transfer their collection of smallpox viruses to one or two of their specified labs in United States and Russia.
With so much of modern technology available, a person with the right kind of tools and plentiful of bad intentions can very well create another virus of small pox. He can also create other varieties of pox which may be more harmful to humanity.
Those proposing the destruction are asking for a date for doing it from WHO. The World Health Organization is demanding further debate on the subject before reaching to any final conclusion.
