The entire genomes of variola (smallpox) and vaccinia viruses have now been sequenced.

It has been proposed that the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus should be destroyed, to prevent any accidential escapes. However, this suggestion has been intensely debated, since some people feel:

• the virus should be kept in secure facilities for future study should the need arise - there is a limit to the amount of information which cen be derived from a nucleotide sequence.
• we have no right to destroy any form of "life" (the dodo, whales, viruses???).

It was intended that the last remaining laboratory stocks of variola virus be destroyed on 30th June 1999, but they were retained for further vaccine development and research in light of potential threats of biological terrorism.

In real terms, smallpox is history.