WHO says investigating smallpox reports in Uganda

[The Lawspeaker]

WHO says investigating smallpox reports in Uganda

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation said on Thursday it was investigating reports of cases of the previously eradicated disease smallpox in eastern Uganda.

Smallpox is an acute contagious disease and was one of the world's most feared until it was officially declared eradicated in 1979. "WHO takes any report of smallpox seriously," a spokesman for the Geneva-based United Nations health agency told Reuters via email.

"WHO is aware of the reports coming out of Uganda and is taking all the necessary measures to investigate and verify."

[Agrippa]

If we get a new epidemy of smallpox this could be horrible - at least for those populations which dont get vaccines in time...

[The Lawspeaker]

What vaccines ? The virus is "dead". I am sure that there are no vaccines for the general population (or for scientists for that matter) as the smallpox virus is kept isolated in a Russian and American lab in very small quantities.

[Agrippa]

What vaccines ? The virus is "dead". I am sure that there are no vaccines for the general population (or for scientists for that matter) as the smallpox virus is kept isolated in a Russian and American lab in very small quantities.

Well, I said if the reports are true. And to my knowledge, but dont pin me to that, the UN/WHO might have some strains too, exactly for that purpose, namely if the epidemy would come back and to being able to produce vaccines (and some say to not eliminate the lifeform completely - as there are some "idealists" who say that would be problematic for ethical reasons... :/ )

And even if not, the USA or Russia would be able to reproduce it, they are able to do so for biological warfare anyway and of course, as a third option, once such a disease would spread, one could reproduce a vaccine and this would reach - hopefully, at least the European people and countries before the full epidemy.

[Daos]

The pox! The pox on their house! ...Or continent, whatever...

[The Lawspeaker]

According to this Dutch news site the disease that is now apparently rampaging through Uganda is not smallpox but chickenpox.

[Cato]

Two words to explain this story: it's Africa.

[Lulletje Rozewater]

WHO says investigating smallpox reports in Uganda

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation said on Thursday it was investigating reports of cases of the previously eradicated disease smallpox in eastern Uganda.

Smallpox is an acute contagious disease and was one of the world's most feared until it was officially declared eradicated in 1979. "WHO takes any report of smallpox seriously," a spokesman for the Geneva-based United Nations health agency told Reuters via email.

"WHO is aware of the reports coming out of Uganda and is taking all the necessary measures to investigate and verify."

Shows you that Uganda could become Europe's 'pokkenland'

[The Lawspeaker]

Shows you that Uganda could become Europe's 'pokkenland'

It's already a pokkeland ! But Uganda is not in Europe, mate... it's Donker Afrika.

[Lulletje Rozewater]

According to this Dutch news site the disease that is now apparently rampaging through Uganda is not smallpox but chickenpox.

You mean small people's chickenpox which is deadly
Little People of Uganda

Background
Little People of Uganda (LPU) is a new DPO started in May 2007 by parents of dwarf children and by dwarf adults to advocate for the rights of dwarves/short statured people in Uganda. Their mission is to empower, assist, and represent people of short stature to enable them to assert their right to live in, participate in, and be productive members of the community, and by so doing, maximize their potential as valued citizens.
Project
This project is raising awareness about the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its implications for persons of short stature among the membership of LPU.
Project Grant Amount: $5,000
Total Grants Received: $5,000
Years Supported: 1
Priority Area: Awareness-Raising
Population Served: People of short stature