Biological warfare
Should the last samples of smallpox virus be saved?
Though smallpox was officially declared to be eradicated in 1980, live samples of the virus live on — stored in carefully guarded freezers in Russia and the US. Now officials will consider eliminating those final samples — and truly wiping small pox off the Earth.Though smallpox was officially declared to be eradicated in 1980, live samples of the virus live on — stored in carefully guarded freezers in Russia and the US. Now officials will consider eliminating those final samples — and truly wiping small pox off the Earth.
White House Weighs Testing Anthrax Vaccine on Children
A working group of The National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) has endorsed a plan to test anthrax vaccines on healthy children. The NBSB, which advises the federal government, says scientist should inject healthy children with BioThrax, the anthrax vaccine, to see if it is as effective on children as it is in adults. The Obama administration is […]
Ancient Biowarfare
Most historians will tell you the earliest evidence of biological and chemical weapons dates back to World War I and the use of mustard gas. But one historian has amassed a significant amount of earlier accounts that prove otherwise. Adrienne Mayor unearths histories of toxic honey, red-hot sand and stench weapons used throughout antiquity. She […]
Smallpox
Under the threat of bioterrorism, the nation is gearing up to provide each citizen with a vaccination against the highly contagious and often deadly disease smallpox. Host Steve Curwood talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases about the smallpox threat and what’s being done to offset it.