Smallpox once again is a serious threat to man,
this time as a biological weapon. Unlike chemical weapons, viruses like
smallpox are invisible, silent and odorless and so, they have less
chance of being detected and eliminated.
Furthermore, smallpox is made
all the more dangerous because nearly everyone is susceptible to it as
vaccinations have stopped worldwide over two decades ago with its
eradication.
If used as a weapon, it is unlikely
the disease would be identified fast enough for a vaccination program to
be effective.Here is a scenario that could happen if terrorists get hold
of smallpox and use it as a weapon:
A terrorist in an airport squeezes
a few lethal sprays of smallpox from a hand-held spray. Unsuspecting
victims inhale the virus.
They spread the virus as they come into
contact with others. Within a day, the virus could spread to many other
countries. As nearly everyone is susceptible and vaccinations are in
short supply, whole populations can be wiped out. Oh yeah, tourism
falls.
