[ad_1]
A photo of 16th century smallpox victims (left) and Teco Birimat, the first US FDA approved smallpox treatment. [ ‘피렌체 코덱스’ 12권, AP=연합뉴스]
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the development of a smallpox treatment, a disease that has disappeared.
This is an badysis that US authorities have acknowledged that the smallpox virus could be used as a biological weapon by terrorist groups.
On Tuesday, US media reported that the first smallpox treatment called "texovirus (TPOXX)", tecovirimat, was approved by the FDA.
Smallpox, one of the most serious diseases in the history of mankind, spreads primarily through direct contact with people through pox viruses. Encephalitis, corneal ulceration, loss of vision, etc., with a mortality rate of 30%.
Fortunately, after the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the eradication of smallpox in 1980, its presence disappeared. Since then, smallpox has not developed worldwide and vaccination has been stopped.
However, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the possibility that the smallpox virus could be used as a biological weapon was raised. The Harvard study team also released a report last October that North Korea could use the smallpox virus to make biological weapons.
The United States has focused on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mbad destruction and has developed a therapeutic drug called ST-246 as well as stockpiles of smallpox vaccines.
The experts explain that the development of therapeutic drugs is important because smallpox vaccines can not be administered to all, including those who can not be vaccinated against pregnant women or cancer patients.
In addition, since the vaccine has ceased to grow, the under-40 generation has been defenseless against biological terrorism, and the need to develop therapeutic drugs has increased.
The private company 'Shiga Technologies', which was in charge of the development of therapeutic drugs, experimented with monkeys exhibiting symptoms similar to those of smallpox. Finally, it was reported that they had finished testing the side effects of volunteers.
On the other hand, the smallpox virus is currently held for research purposes only by specific American and Russian organizations recognized by the WHO in high security.
Reprinted by Lee Min-jung [email protected]
[ad_2]
Source link
