Russian Alert of Smallpox Terror

All News RU ^ | 12 Nov 01 | AllNews RU

[11B3]

We're not the only nation worried about the possibility of this happening - which gives this a slightly more ominous tone:

Russian Experts Warn Of Smallpox Terror

Russian scientist Lev Sandakhchiyev who heads Russia's Vektor Institute told that smallpox mass vaccination should be reintroduced to prevent new terrorist attacks, The Telegraph online news reported. Sandakhchiyev is in charge of keeping the two last smallpox virus samples in Russia. "Smallpox is a very dangerous weapon in the hands of terrorists and there is a very simple way of delivering it," said Sandakhchiyev. "All you need is a sick fanatic to arrive in a populated place. The world health system is completely unprepared for this".

More than one billion people had died from the disease before it was declared extinct in 1980. Afterwards mass smallpox vaccination was abolished. But in the light of the recent terrorist attacks in the USA, the vaccination should be reintroduced, Sandakhchiyev said.

The USA has already made some steps in this direction. The United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, began a series of training courses on smallpox for health workers. It vaccinated 140 doctors and nurses against smallpox.

At the end of October, the American government asked pharmaceutical companies to produce 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine.

[11B3]

I knew that smallpox historically had killed many people, but I didn't know that many (1 billion +)!

[Illbay]

Not only that, but it was a rather horrible way to die.

[Dixie Mom]

Index bump. To search for smallpox articles, click here: Smallpox List. Please ping all articles relating to smallpox to the list.

[lavaroise]

Nice covert.

[unending thunder]

"Islamic political system is the only system of governance that ensures the basic human rights and guarantees equal opportunities to the people of all colours and creeds. "

Gulbuddin Hekmatayr The "Butcher of Kabul"

[Scutter]

[Aquinasfan]

It's something like 30% fatal and, unlike Anthrax, is highly contagious.

[ChemistCat]

That word appeared NOWHERE in this thread but in your post. Sheesh. Do you think that we ought to be the only group of people anywhere who avoid the subject?

[11B3]

Thanks - it seems to me that since Russia and the US have the only "official" samples of the virus left, and that now both nations are considering protecting their populations gives an insight to the intelligence that has been gathered.

[GailA]

History 101 http://www.diseaseworld.com/typhoid.htm

TYPHOID MARY She was an Irish immigrant cook. Between 1900 and 1907, she infected twenty-two New Yorkers with typhoid fever through her puddings and cakes; one of them died. Tracked down through epidemiological detective work, she was finally apprehended as she hid behind a barricade of trashcans. To protect the public's health, authorities isolated her on Manhattan's North Brother Island, where she died some thirty years later.

[Liberty Ship]

Why is that guy dancing in a pizza????

Scutter, if your intent is to marginalize the concern of those of us who are enraged by our government's failure to "provide for the common defense" by having dismissed this forseeable threat, leaving us vulnerable when the technology to defend against it was tested, proven, inexpensive and on the shelf, then so noted.

However, I think that the events leading up to our having to be concerned about smallpox, even if the probability is low, call for close and repeated scrutiny.

If we had had an anti-ballistic missle defense system in place that was tested and proven, which has eliminated the threat in the past, would you have supported dismantling it while there were still countries out there which still had ballistic missle delivery systems? That is basically what the government did when it agreed to stop the smallpox vaccination program. Worse, it was not even available on a volunatry basis to those of us who would have taken it on our own.

[ChemistCat]

I'm getting really tired of people who use ridicule to step on other people's valid, interesting threads. It is just as if they walked into a small room full of conversation and let loose a big fart. It's deliberate and hateful, since nobody has to click on anything he isn't interested in.

[Scutter]

Do you think that we ought to be the only group of people anywhere who avoid the subject?

Nope. Discuss away. I'm just trying to inject a little humor into an otherwise depressing topic.

[Scutter]

I'm getting really tired of people who use ridicule to step on other people's valid, interesting threads.

I hate that too. It's one of the reasons I stopped posting new threads and now limit myself to replies.

[ChemistCat]

Hmmm. Well, you would do the rest of us a favor if you wouldn't post that picture on a serious thread about a serious threat. You stopped the conversation, do you realize that? And whether or not smallpox is really a threat, the conversation about it is WORTH SOMETHING to some of us.

[TheLion]

A very scary headline that! Too bad it doesn't relate to the article. Typical of the media.

[Scutter]

You stopped the conversation, do you realize that?

That's absurd. Maybe after you've been here for a few more months you'll realize why.

[ChemistCat]

I've been online since the mid-80s, and I've seen people use ridicule as a way to shut other people up on more forums than this. In fact, I think it begins in first grade, in real life.

[Republic]

It all makes me kind of sad because my father has spent over fifty years in the Rotary Club International and their main project was to eradicate smallpox the world over. He worked long and hard when the project was intiated (he is a retired physician) and had taken great pleasure in the work of this club around the world.

[ChemistCat]

Well, as long as there are no cases, we can hope that it's still eradicated. I am sad for your father. I'm sad for all humanity that there are ANY human beings who could consider letting this scourge loose again.