Destroy smallpox?

May 16, 2011 updated 09: 02 GMT by James Gallagher health, BBC News journalist  viral disease has been eradicated more than 30 years flying smallpox has been marked as one of the largest science success stories.

Once the disease killed 30% of infected persons, but after a comprehensive vaccination campaign was declared eradicated in 1980.

However, the smallpox virus, which causes the infection is not disappeared. There are two laboratories, one in the United States and the other in Russia. The question is to ask once more: should they kill their stocks?

Continue reading the main history caused by the analysis of smallpox virus originated more than 3 000 years in India or EgyptSymptoms include fever, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue and the distinctive rashIt killed 30% of these infectedMore that believed that the 300 million people have died of smallpox in the 20th century, aloneUp 80% of the survivors were marked with deep pitted scars, mainly on the faceThe world Organization (who) will take a decision at the 64th World Assembly of health this week.

It is not the first time the question was raised, it was first discussed at the Assembly in 1986 and has been the source of debate since then.

Stocks are still needed?

Destroy the remaining stocks is seen in some areas as the last chapter of the eradication of the disease, otherwise there is always the risk of accidental release.

Others, including the United States and the Russia argue for a search more where smallpox returns, perhaps as a biological weapon.

They fear the vials of the virus could exist outside their laboratories. About 50 strains of smallpox virus genomes have also been fully sequenced, and research has already shown that a virus can be built from scratch with a plan of action.

Professor Geoffrey Smith, of Imperial College London, followed the latest research on smallpox. He says that studies focused on three areas - tests to diagnose the infection quickly and accurately, antiviral to deal drugs and safer vaccines to prevent it.

He has conducted a review of the State of scientific research for the who, which was published at the end of 2010 and concluded there was "of the remarkable progress" in tests for smallpox.

Nearly one in three people who took smallpox is dead

But the same cannot be said with certainty for vaccines and drugs for smallpox. While the new candidates were developed, they may not be clinically proven that there is no human smallpox patients to test them on. Without tests to prove that a drug works, endpoint for research becomes more difficult to define.

Professor Smith said: "it is fair to say Committee had views on the question of whether research had been there or almost there but not quite."

Keep or destroy

US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that it would be premature to destroy the other stores in the virus now.

It resumed in a column for the New York Times, commitment to eventually destroy the stocks, but not yet of.

She wrote: "we still have work to do before safe and highly effective vaccine and antiviral treatments are fully developed and approved for use."

"Destroy the virus now is merely a symbolic act which would slow down our progress and could even stop completely, leaving vulnerable world."

But the man that led to the eradication of smallpox from the 1966 scheme who until the last case in 1977 disagrees.

Dr. DA Henderson told the BBC: "I think it's a very good idea to destroy." At this stage, the reasons to keep are very obscure. Group after group looked this essentially said that it was not necessary to retain.

Continue reading the main history

In 1796, Edward Jenner extracted a pustule vaccine on a pus milkmaiden and it inserted into a cut in the arm of an eight year old boy, James Phipps.

He was rural folklore which says dairy who have suffered vaccine ever went on develop smallpox.

Jenner a is is proven after having been inoculated Phipps vaccine has been immunized against smallpox.

In 1959, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the eradication of smallpox.

The last natural case of smallpox was in Somalia in October 1977.

In September 1978 Janet Parker, medical photographer at the University of Birmingham died after being accidentally infected with smallpox.

"We have all productive research we can do." It has been discussed fully and by people around the world entirely. Now is the time to destroy the virus as a more deterrent to anyone who ever producing it or use it. ?

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary University of London, believes that the threat of bioterrorism is "a load of old tosh" but always argued for the retention of the virus.

He said that the decision was "tricky" but added: "I don't think that there is an argument persuasive to destroy the stocks, just a reflexive sense to do so, which is moved."

"It is to eradicate a species as a whole and one never knows what the future might hold."

The argument holds no weight with Professor Gareth Williams, whose book - Angel of death - traces the history of smallpox.

"There is no point in keeping really." It has been sequenced completely so it can be re-created in a test tube and if it comes back you have as many viruses that you might want.

"It is just a vague sense of political malaise keep stocks, it has nothing to do with the scientific argument.".

The vote

No one knows what will happen when the Ministers of health of the who 193 Member States to discuss the issue.

Professor David Heymann, a former Assistant Director General for health security and environment of the World Health Organization, said that there always was a split between industrialized and developing countries.

He said that developing countries have experienced, it is more important to deal with the "known risks" that unknown risks, such as smallpox, while industrialized countries have different priorities.

The World Health Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, if the United States and the Russia cannot be forced to destroy the stocks, even if the majority of the nations wanted it to happen.

The Assembly could reach a consensus, such as the postponement of the decision, rather than forcing a vote because, as Professor Heymann, "nobody wants to see the World Health Organization to lose power" if its decisions are ignored.

Libyan forces destroy fuel tanks Misrata: rebels

TRIPOLI - the Libyan Government forces destroyed four tanks and together several others were set on fire in rebel-held Misrata, a blow to the ability of the city of port to withstand a head of Government, rebel, said Saturday.

The attack on the city from the West came as artillery shells fired by forces loyal to Muammar al-Gaddafi fell in Tunisia in an escalation of fighting near the border with the rebels while trying to put an end to the rule of Gaddafi more of four decades.

Misrata, the last remaining town in the West under rebel control, besieged for more than two months and has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

Rebels gave various accounts of bombings but said he struck the fuel used for export and domestic consumption.

"Four (tanks) were totally destroyed and a huge fire broke out which now distributes for the other four. We cannot shut down because we do not have the right tools, "rebel spokesman Ahmed Hassan said to Reuters.

"Now the city will face a major problem." Those who were the only sources of fuel for the city. These tanks could have kept the city for three months with enough fuel, "he said by telephone."

Video of the incident, posted on YouTube by Libyan students Misrata showed firefighters turning on a light in a futile attempt to turn off water pipes.

Government forces last month flew on Misrata, at least a reconnaissance helicopter mission according to the rebels.

The NATO coalition aircraft were bombing of military targets of Libyan Government and do enforce a no fly zone by resolution of the United Nations. Western and Arab countries this week agreed to provide rebels with millions of dollars in aid non-military to help keep services and the economy running.

Rebels have long been demanding more weapons formed from the Libyan leader and heavy on the better-armed forces.

The head of the rebel forces in Libya is retracted a statement by a spokesman for rebels that the Italy had agreed to provide weapons to help in their fight to force Qaddafi.

"We have not received weapons, no the Italy, nor any other country," Abdel Fattah Younes said al-Jazeera television. "Perhaps one of the brothers did not to express themselves correctly... We apologize for the Italy for the brothers in the National Council.".

A spokesman for the National Council of transition rebels told a press conference of Benghazi with earlier in the day that weapons would be offered to the insurgents soon.

In Rome, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that no agreement was reached.

Italy submitted by the rebels, formally recognizing the Transitional Council as the legitimate representatives of the country, but it is unlikely that he would go further than the other countries of the anti-Gaddafi coalition.

FIGHTING IN BORDER

Fighting intensified in the region of the mountains of the West of the Libya as Gaddafi loyalists and rebels backed by the NATO bombing has reached impasse on other fronts in the civil war.

Government forces surrounding the Zintan rebels holding fired rockets 300 in the town on Saturday, rebel spokesman Abdulrahman al-Zintani, said. He gave no details of casualties in Zintan, which is largely empty of civilians.

"You can hear the NATO planes, but no there were no air strikes" al-Zintani told Reuters.

The Tunisian city of Dehiba was struck several times by stray shells in recent weeks, and on Saturday Tunisia condemned the bombing "extremely dangerous" and said that he would take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.

The Libyan Government has denied targeting deliberately Tunisian soil.

"We said this (bombing) was a mistake and we have presented excuses that this took place and asked the military to ensure that it happen again," Minister Libyan Al - Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi told a press conference in Tripoli.

The battle is over the border crossing Dehiba-Wazzin, whose control gives the rebels a road to the outside world in strongholds in the mountains of the Western region. The Gaddafi forces control a plu passage far to the North.

Saturday the Dehiba schools were evacuated and residents to safety that nearly 100 mortars and missiles fell. The Crackle of small arms and large arms fire could be heard about 4 km in the Libya, said a witness for Reuters at the border.

"We are very afraid." The missiles are falling right around us, we know not what to do, "said Tunisian Mohammed Naguez, a resident of Dehiba." "Our children are afraid." The Tunisian authorities have stop this. ?

Most of the inhabitants of Western mountains belong to the Berber ethnic group and are distinguished from other Libyan. They have increased until there is two months and say of cities such as Zintan and Yafran, often bombed by the forces of Gaddafi, are far from food, water and medicine.

The civil war during the rule of Gaddafi has divided the desert-producing state of oil in a dedicated sector West by the Government around the capital, Tripoli, and a region held by rebel forces undisciplined but.

The revolt is the bloodiest yet against the leaders anchored long across the Middle East and the North Africa, which saw the overthrow of the Presidents veteran of the Tunisia and the Egypt.