Rediscovered Native American remedy kills poxvirus
Herbal medicine used to treat smallpox in the 19th century found to halt viral replication in vitro
An old herbal remedy for treating smallpox that is thought to have been used by native Americans in the late 1800s has been rediscovered and found to kill the poxvirus. Smallpox has been eradicated, but the finding offers a possible treatment for poxvirus in the unlikely event of a bioterror attack or increased incidence of similar poxviruses such as monkey pox.