Anti-smallpox weapon tested for bioterrorism war.
Bio-terrorisms has spurned renewed interest in small pox. Small pox which has been eradicated world wide is now a possible bio weapon. To combat the possible threat with an experimental drug compound that inactivates smallpox is being studied. A derivative of the drug cidofivir is 100 times more effective then the drug itself.
Continued research is a priority in post September 11. Scientists at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md., tested the compound and found it to be effective against several pox viruses, along with more common viruses, including herpes 1 and 2, and varicella zoster, which causes chickenpox. The army is interested in developing a oral form of the drug to make distribution easier.
Previous Article
Return to Animal Physiology Forum
If you would like to post a response to this article, use this form.
Animal Physiology Forum