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IT’S 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—one 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 “official” 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 “Stay of execution”),
opening the way for tests on new treatments and vaccines. So once again
there’s a good reason to keep the virus—just 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’s open to all
countries. The US will object, of course, just as it rejects a multilateral
approach to just about everything. But it doesn’t mean the idea is wrong. If the
virus is useful, then let’s make it the servant of all humanity—not just a
part of it.