杏吧原创

IT鈥橲 NOW a fair bet that we will never see the total extinction of the
smallpox virus. The idea was to cap the glorious achievement of 1980, when
smallpox was eradicated in the wild, by destroying the killer virus in the last
two labs that are supposed to have it鈥攐ne in the US and one in Russia. If
smallpox had truly gone from the planet, what point was there in keeping these
reserves?

In reality, of course, it was naive to imagine that everyone would let go of
such a potent potential weapon. Undoubtedly several nations still have a few
vials. And the last 鈥渙fficial鈥� stocks of live virus bred mistrust of the US and
Russia, for no obvious gain.

Now American researchers have found an animal model of the human disease
(see 鈥淪tay of execution鈥�),
opening the way for tests on new treatments and vaccines. So once again
there鈥檚 a good reason to keep the virus鈥攋ust in case the disease puts in a
reappearance.

How do we deal with the mistrust of the US and Russia? Simple. Keep the virus
under international auspices in a well-guarded UN laboratory that鈥檚 open to all
countries. The US will object, of course, just as it rejects a multilateral
approach to just about everything. But it doesn鈥檛 mean the idea is wrong. If the
virus is useful, then let鈥檚 make it the servant of all humanity鈥攏ot just a
part of it.