While smallpox has been eradicated in the wild, samples of the deadly virus still exist in the United States and Russia. Some biodefense experts fear that the continued existence of smallpox leaves the world open to a bioterrorist smallpox attack. To contain a possible smallpox outbreak, the U.S. government has…

In 1979, the World Health Organization successfully eradicated smallpox, removing one of history's greatest killers from the face of the Earth. Now, 33 years later, we just might be on the verge of repeating that feat with polio.

A document has just gone on display at Mount Vernon, Virginia - the museum in the former home of George Washington, first US President. It is an order dated 1777 and signed by Washington himself to send troops that had not been vaccinated for smallpox - or survived it - to Philadelphia to be vaccinated. These troops…

Well, yes of course we should destroy all smallpox. But recently the disease was spared the chop, due to US pressure on the World Health Organization. Why would we want keep this killer alive?

A combined smallpox and anthrax vaccine has been developed which is faster and more efficient than either individual version, and could prove to be invaluable during a bioterrorism attack. The researchers took the protective part of an anthrax vaccine, and inserted it into an existing smallpox vaccine along with an…