 Smallpox has officially been eradicated worldwide—but the destruction of lab cultures in government-sponsored biowar facilities was never monitored. A blend of dramatization and documentary, this program considers the weaponization and deployment of smallpox—or, by extension, any lethal virus—from preexisting stockpiles and by laboratory manufacture from mail order genetic material and online genome maps. The culturing of as-yet-unnamed animal viruses that are potentially capable of jumping the animal/human genetic boundary is also addressed. A harrowing what-if scenario of bioterror combined with cutting-edge virology. A part of the series The Virus Empire: Silent Killers and Invisible Enemies. (52 minutes)
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