DATE=3/16/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42874
TITLE=SMALLPOX VIRUS
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: FOR ABOUT TWO DECADES, THE WORLD HAS BEEN FREE OF
SMALLPOX, AS THE RESULT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE
THE DISEASE. BUT A DEBATE IS STILL RAGING OVER WHAT TO DO WITH
THE LAST REMAINING STORES OF SMALLPOX VIRUS, HELD IN
HIGHLY-PROTECTED U-S AND RUSSIAN LABORATORIES. IT ONCE SEEMED
INEVITABLE THEY WOULD BE DESTROYED, TO ERASE ANY POSSIBILITY THEY
COULD INFECT AGAIN. BUT THAT IS NOW FAR FROM CERTAIN. AS WE
HEAR FROM V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID MCALARY, AN
INDEPENDENT U-S PANEL OF EXPERTS SAYS THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO
PRESERVE SPECIMENS OF THE VIRUS.
TEXT: EVER SINCE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARED THE
EARTH SMALLPOX-FREE IN 1980, THE AGENCY, ITS MEMBER STATES AND
OTHERS HAVE DEBATED WHETHER TO DESTROY THE LAST OFFICIAL STOCKS
OF THE VIRUS.
SOME HAVE ARGUED THAT DESTRUCTION IS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THE
VIRUS WOULD NEVER BE REINTRODUCED. BUT OTHERS HAVE EXPRESSED
CONCERN ABOUT LOSING EXPERIMENTAL MATERIAL WITH A UNIQUE GENETIC
STRUCTURE THAT MIGHT PROVIDE VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW VIRUSES
INFECT.
A SCIENTIFIC PANEL, MEETING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE U-S
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, HAS ISSUED A REPORT SUPPORTING THE
LATTER VIEW. THE PANEL SAYS PRESERVING THE LIVE VIRUS MAY
PROVIDE IMPORTANT MEDICAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD NOT
OTHERWISE BE AVAILABLE. THE PANEL CHAIR, DR. CHARLES CARPENTER
OF BROWN UNIVERSITY (IN THE EASTERN STATE OF RHODE ISLAND), SAYS
LIVE VIRUS IS ALSO ESSENTIAL AS A BASIS FOR DEVELOPING DRUGS TO
COMBAT A FUTURE OUTBREAK, WHICH COULD OCCUR, FOR EXAMPLE, IN AN
ATTACK BY TERRORISTS CONDUCTING BIOLOGICAL WARFARE.
/// CARPENTER ACT ///
THAT'S ONE OF THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF HAVING THE LIVE
VIRUS. IF IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DEVELOP
NEW ANTIVIRAL AGENTS, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE LIVE VIRUS
STOCKS TO DO THAT, USING CELL CULTURES, ET CETERA. THAT
WOULD BE THE OVERWHELMING REASON FOR RETAINING THE LIVE
VIRUS IF THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP
MORE ANTIVIRAL AGENTS.
/// END ACT ///
THE PANEL ISSUED ITS REPORT AT THE REQUEST OF U-S HEALTH AND
MILITARY OFFICIALS WHO WORRY THAT TERRORISTS MIGHT OBTAIN
SMALLPOX VIRUS, KNOWN SCIENTIFICALLY AS VARIOLA. THE DISEASE IS
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, OFTEN DEADLY AND AN ATTACK WOULD BE ESPECIALLY
LETHAL, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER VACCINATED AGAINST IT.
// OPT // PANEL MEMBER ELLIOT KIEFE [PRON: KEEF] IS A HARVARD
UNIVERSITY PHYSICIAN.
/// KIEFE ACT ///
ASSUMING THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE MAY BE
VARIOLA OUT THERE WHICH COULD BE USED AS A BIOTERRORIST
WEAPON -- WITH THAT AS AN ASSUMPTION, WE WOULD NEED TO
HAVE EXISTING, REGISTERED STOCKS OF VARIOLA VIRUS FOR
DEALING WITH THAT CONTINGENCY.
/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///
THIS CONCERN HAS HELPED CHANGE THE BALANCE IN THE SMALLPOX
DEBATE. AT ONE TIME, THE FORCES FOR DESTRUCTION SEEMED TO HAVE
WON. IN 1996, AN ASSEMBLY OF W-H-O MEMBER NATIONS -- INCLUDING
THE UNITED STATES -- VOTED TO DESTROY ALL REMAINING SMALLPOX
VIRUS BY JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
BUT IN JANUARY, A W-H-O COMMITTEE SPLIT OVER THE QUESTION. AT
THE SAME TIME, PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNALED A POTENTIAL CHANGE OF
U-S POLICY, SAYING THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT WOULD
INFLUENCE HIS THINKING ON SMALLPOX DESTRUCTION.
EVEN WITHOUT A BIOTERRORIST THREAT, PANEL MEMBERS LIKE U-S
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH PHYSICIAN BERNARD MOSS SAY THERE
ARE VALID REASONS TO HOLD ON TO THE VIRUS AND UNDERSTAND IT
BETTER, USING SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME
OF ERADICATION.
/// MOSS ACT ///
THE VARIOLA VIRUS HAS VERY DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES, SPECIFICALLY IN HUMANS. IF WE COULD
UNDERSTAND THIS INFORMATION, IT WOULD LIKELY REVEAL MORE
ABOUT THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM OR OTHER ASPECTS OF HUMAN
BIOLOGY. BUT NEITHER WE NOR FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL
KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS IF ALL THE VIRUS STOCKS ARE
DESTROYED AT THIS TIME.
/// END ACT ///
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION MEMBER COUNTRIES ARE TO MEET AGAIN IN
MAY TO REVIEW THE DECISION TO DESTROY THE REMAINING SMALLPOX.
THE MEETING COULD PIT MANY POORER COUNTRIES -- THOSE HIT HARDEST
BY THE LAST EPIDEMICS -- AGAINST RUSSIA AND OTHERS WHO OPPOSE
DESTRUCTION. IF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT IS
INFLUENTIAL ENOUGH, THE UNITED STATES MAY CHANGE ITS STAND AND
OPPOSE IT, TOO. (SIGNED)
NEB/DEM/WTW
16-Mar-99 6:28 PM EST (2328 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
