On July 1 six-decade-old vials of s

On July 1 six-decade-old vials of smallpox virus that had been tucked away in a cold room were discovered at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory on the NIH campus. Smallpox was eradicated 35 years ago, yet two sites—one at the CDC and the other in Russia—are permitted to hold samples. The newly discovered vials were sent to the CDC for further testing. Frieden announced today that their testing has revealed that smallpox in at least two of the vials was alive and has been successfully grown in the lab—underscoring that smallpox is viable for decades. After the CDC completes its testing it will destroy all the samples, he says.