"One of the longest debates and most continuous internationally has been surrounding the destruction of the Smallpox (Variola) virus, which are being held at the WHO authorized repositories in Russia and the USA. Although Smallpox has been eradicated, there was concerns that a few countries still held undeclared stocks of the virus. An outbreask would cause a global health emergency. In 1999 the WHO approved research to developed and improve medical defences." Jonathan B. Tucker. (2011). smallpox destruction debate could a grand bargain settle the issue?. Arms Control association. n.I (1), 9.
I have looked at a number of resources surrounding the debate I have focused my assignment on Smallpox the destruction debate: could a grand bargain settle the issue? by Jonathan B. Tucker. 2009. the article itself looks at keeping stocks of the virus for future research but just limiting down the number of strains that are being held in the two facilities. The article covers all basis for a medium between the two groups anti-destruction and pro-destruction. From the information I have looked at stocks should be destroyed. Although Smallpox was eradicated more than 30 years ago the debate on if we should keep the stocks has been an ongoing political debate. In 2011 Countries such as the "U.S., Russia and more than two dozen other countries in the developed and developing world had supported the resolution to to keep the stocks of the deadly virus for at least five years". (Betsy McKay. (2011). Smallpox-destruction gets delayed. The wall street journal. 16 (1), 12.). Although leaders of the W.H.A (World Health Assembly) said the destruction would be irreversible advances in biotechnology in the 1980's saw the development of DNA synthesizers. "capable of making customized strands of genetic material from of the shelf chemicals". (Jonathan B. Tucker. (2011). smallpox destruction debate could a grand bargain settle the issue?. Arms Control association. 16 (1), 9.). We can create the Smallpox virus from the genetic code that researchers have obtained through years of research into the the eradication of Smallpox. So there is no reason to keep stocks that are being obtained.
"The entire DNA sequences of 45 different strains of the smallpox virus have been determined, as well as the partial DNA sequences of more than 20 additional strains. This sequencing effort has revealed little genetic variation among different strains of the smallpox virus, suggesting that a drug or vaccine that is effective against one strain should work against them all.".
Jonathan B. Tucker. (2011). smallpox destruction debate could a grand bargain settle the issue?. Arms Control association. 16 (1), 9.
http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/our_work/biological-threats-and-epidemics/fact_sheets/smallpox_images.html
