This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Development Report.
The World Health Organization has delayed the destruction of thelast remaining supply of smallpox virus in the world. Officials hadplanned to destroy the virus this year. However, they becameconcerned after the September eleventh terrorist attacks in theUnited States. Many people are concerned that extremist groups orgovernments may try to use smallpox as a weapon.
The head of the World Health Organization, Gro Harlem Brundtland,strongly urged that supplies of the virus be saved. She spoke at aW-H-O meeting of health officials and scientists in Geneva,Switzerland last month. Doctor Brundtland said that keeping thevirus alive will help researchers develop new medicines to preventand treat the disease. She said it is impossible to test new drugsif no supplies of the smallpox virus exist.
Two laboratories in the world arecurrently carrying out research on smallpox. They are in Russia andthe United States.
In Nineteen-Sixty-Seven, the World Health Organization launched acampaign to end smallpox around the world. The goal was to giveeveryone the vaccine medicne that prevents the disease. The W-H-Oofficially declared the world free from smallpox in Nineteen-Eighty.If the disease became active again, scientists believe it wouldcreate a very dangerous situation.
Smallpox is believed to have started more than three-thousandyears ago in India or Egypt. It is an infectious disease caused bythe variola virus. Approximately thirty percent of reported casesresult in death. The disease is spread by particles from an infectedperson’s breath.
There is no cure for smallpox. However, the vaccine that preventsit from developing in the body is very effective. The vaccine mustbe given within four days of someone breathing in the virus. Some ofthe side effects caused by the vaccine can also be harmful. This iswhy health officials say only those people working with the virus orothers directly at risk should take the vaccine.
The W-H-O has asked for a report in two to three years onprogress made in smallpox treatment research. Officials say theresearch program should be completed as quickly as possible. Then anew date for the destruction of the world’s remaining smallpox viruscan be set.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss.