The tissue culture screening of 10 compounds representing 5 classes of drugs had been completed and, based on the information obtained, further studies of promising agents had begun using mammalian models. Only limited funding was provided, however, and progress was slow. Monkeys exposed to an aerosol of monkeypox virus developed a rash illness resembling smallpox and virus was recovered from spleen and liver. After vaccination with both current and new cell-culture vaccines, they seroconverted and when later exposed to aerosol challenge, they were fully protected. For diagnosis, primer pairs were identified to amplify variola, vaccinia, monkeypox and cowpox viruses and these methods were validated using stored specimens from smallpox patients.
Further work is in progress to further simplify and standardize techniques.
In only one research area did HHS and DoD offer significantly different positions relative to the retention of variola virus. Therefore, further studies with variola itself should not be necessary. In January 1996, the USA, at the WHO Executive Board meeting, supported the decision to destroy the virus at the end of June 1996. However, as a result of further discussion and debate at the Board and at the World Health Assembly, the decision was made to defer destruction of the virus until June 1999 and then, only after a reaffirmation of the decision at the January 1999 Executive Board and the May 1999 World Health Assembly. The Johns Hopkins University on behalf of its Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies.