Taking stock of smallpox viruses Public health experts divided on whether to save supply

SF Chronicle ^ | 4-8-02 | Taking stock of smallpox viruses

[tallhappy]

The "atomic bomb" of bioterrorism is the smallpox virus, which, if unleashed into a general population, might kill millions around the world in a few years.

Should the United States destroy its last remaining supply of smallpox viruses to prevent its possible theft by terrorists? Or should it hang onto them as sources of medical information that might save innumerable lives during a bioterrorist attack?

[tallhappy]

Reminds me of nuclear freeze or unilateral disarmament.

In those scenarios we are always the side that gets the short end of the stick.

[concerned about politics]

I bought a book on planting garlic last year. The book had a chapter on the history of garlic. According to the book, the black plague was small pox.
Thieves would rob the dead bodies in the towns, but were not being infected. The king wanted to know why. He said if the thieves would come forward and tell their secret, they would recieve a full pardon for their crimes.
The thieves said they put crushed garlic in wine the night before they went out. The next day, they would rub themselves down with the wine, and drink it as well.
Garlic has anti-bacterial as well as anti-fungal properties. The wine had alchohol.
Just thought I'd mention that. In a major breakout, the wine may be the only tool we have. It would certainly keep infected people away just from the smell!
Science has "discovered" that if you spray a mist of alchohol based medicine in your nose when you have a cold, the virus doesn't multiply and the cold goes away sooner. The alchohol kills the virus. Smallpox is a virus. Wine is alchohol.

[steve-b]

The Black Death was a bacterial plague (and is itself another possible vector of bioterrorism); smallpox is a virus.

[concerned about politics]

The Black Death was a bacterial plague (and is itself another possible vector of bioterrorism); smallpox is a virus.

Just quoting the book. Anyway, the wine would work either way.

[realpatriot71]

the black plague was small pox

No, the black plauge was and still is a bacteria Yersinia pestis.

Alcohol my inhibit some viruses - those that cause the common cold are not as complex. The smallpox virus is the probably the most complex virus known today. I doubt alcohol would do much good. Besides that smallpox in tranmitted via person to person contact.

[realpatriot71]

In effect, destroying the virus destroys our ability to make a viable vaccination.

No it doesn't. We get the vaccine from a related virus - Vaccinia.

[concerned about politics]

Besides that smallpox in tranmitted via person to person contact.

Ah Ha! The garlic would work then!! :-D

Anyway, if there's nothing else available, I'll keep the "brew" handy anyway.

[WALLACE212]

Alchohol, even pure, is a lousy anti-viral. Garlic- a little better- but not much. Viruses aren't actually alive remember, they are just strings of RNA that hijack your cells to make more of themselves, plus some nasty toxins. To "kill", disable really, a virus, you have to break the RNA strands. Bleach works well, so does lye. Unfortunately both are quite corrosive.

The best defense against viral infection, especially of bio-attack magnitude, is to seal yourself up tight somewhere, and not entertain guests- at all.

[realpatriot71]

There's really no reason for us to keep the virus around, except for our own nonexistant (*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*) bioweapons program.

[realpatriot71]

I really hate to nitpick, but I'm going to. Viruses can be DNA or RNA. You're right about detergents and strong bases being able to "kill" the virus.

[WALLACE212]

True. Got me there. Been a while since Bio101 in college :0)