The fate of the smallpox virus

Did you know that smallpox killed more humans than all of the combined wars of the 20th century? Within its development and expansion, smallpox claimed the lives of many people, destroying populations and changing the course of history. As of now, long after its eradication, there are known smallpox virus stocks being held in secure laboratories in the United States and Russia. These smallpox stocks are the essence of an increasingly important debate. The author of "Smallpox should be saved" firmly argues that the smallpox stocks should be kept to gain knowledge and further scientific research while the author of "The threat of smallpox and bioterrorism" argues against the preservation of these stocks. Although these two authors clearly express opposing viewpoints, they both draw connections based on the idea of human safety.

In the article, “Smallpox should be saved,” the author focuses on the preservation of the known stocks of the smallpox virus. The author argues that these stocks give scientists the knowledge and research they need to potentially fight against related diseases. This information has the capability to find future vaccines and cures that may not be discovered elsewhere. The author also pulls information from outside sources to further support his position. According to The New York Times, destroying the smallpox specimens could potentially prevent the certainty that people will never have to worry about seeing this plague again. The author of this article is emphasizing the importance of keeping populations of people safe. As long as the stocks are secure and do not possess any eminent harm to others, they not only help scientists’ further research, but they also ensure that we will never have to encounter the outbreak again.

Patrick Berche, the author of an opposing article “The threat of smallpox and bioterrorism,” argues against the maintenance of smallpox specimens and wishes for them to be destroyed. His reasons for the destruction of these stocks are directly expressed. He states, most importantly, that the destruction would be beneficial as it would prevent the accidental release of the virus to non-immune people. This is an accurate assumption based on the knowledge of the dangers and historical effects of the disease. He further supports his claim through his assertion that “it would eliminate any possibility that terrorists could acquire and use the virus as an agent of biological warfare” (Berche). Since the attacks on September 11th, terrorism has become an increasingly important factor. The destruction of the stocks would prevent terrorists from using the virus as a method of harm, and we all want to feel safe in the land that we live.

The two articles draw connections with each other while still keeping each argument clear. Both articles call attention to the fact that there is a possibility of secret stocks of smallpox being held in locations elsewhere. With this in mind, it is uncertain which choice would prove to be better for human protection. The two authors also establish the idea that the virus genome has been replicated and sequenced; therefore, inquiries can be explained without the live virus, but the virus remains essential for the conduction of experiments. From my point of view, I believe that the smallpox specimens should be saved for the betterment of human lives. Based on the readings, the advantages of the stocks are much greater than the disadvantages. While the main concern of this issue is human safety, research still needs to be conducted to fully understand and determine the fate of the smallpox virus.




Works Cited


"Smallpox Should Be Saved." Nature 469.7330 (2011). Web. <http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v469/n7330/full/469265a.html>.