BMJ  2007;334:775 (14 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39156.490799.BE

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Head to head

Should the US and Russia destroy their stocks of smallpox virus?

US Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201

Smallpox was eradicated in 1980, but the virus still exists in WHO controlled depositories. Edward Hammond maintains that stocks should be destroyed to prevent the disease re-emerging, but John Agwunobi insists further research is essential for global security

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

NO: Smallpox, one of the great killers in human history,¹ remains dangerous. Malicious use of smallpox remains a threat because almost certainly clandestine stocks exist.^{2 3 4} Despite the 33rd World Health Assembly's endorsement of the recommendation that all countries should destroy all live smallpox virus stocks, or transfer them to World Health Organization authorised, maximum containment repositories, we cannot be certain this is the case.^{2 3 4} The United States believes that the global community should avoid any action that would jeopardise the important research on Variola virus conducted at the two authorised repositories of the virus. Destroying the virus would be irreversible and short sighted, for the reasons spelt out below.

Smallpox poses an important public health risk, particularly since the population has no immunity and there are no safe, effective treatments. Variola virus released by mistake or intentionally would be a public health emergency of international concern, as the revised International . . . [Full text of this article]

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