Is there any known supply of the smallpox virus in the world today?

Leigh Vinocur, MD

Emergency Medicine

Supposedly there are only two laboratories in the world that have the smallpox virus: the Center of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia and the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology in Koltsovo, Russia. But the existence of a stockpile in other countries is really unknown.

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Smallpox

Smallpox is a highly contagious and deadly disease that can give you flu-like symptoms and leave you with disfiguring scars. About one in three people that contract smallpox die from it. Smallpox spreads easily through saliva, and you can acquire smallpox if you are in close proximity with someone who has the virus. If you are infected with smallpox, symptoms will develop after 10 to 12 days and include fever, aches, a rash and fatigue. No treatment is available for smallpox, but you can control the fever and any pain with IV fluids and medicines. The last known case of smallpox was in 1977, thanks to global immunization.

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