The phrase "smallpox virus" refers to a highly contagious and dangerous virus that causes a severe disease called smallpox. This virus spreads from person to person and can cause high fever, rash, and in some cases, even death. Full definition
Vials of smallpox virus from the 1950s had been found in a storage room at the National Institutes of Health. (washingtonpost.com)
Untitled Smallpox Eradication Project (U.S.A.) / Jamie Dawson (Writer) and Howard Gertler (Producer) In 1965, the World Health Organization orders a massive operation to eradicate the deadly smallpox virus from the human population. (deadline.com)
The study stirred alarm when Science first reported it in July 2017 because it might give would - be terrorists a recipe to construct smallpox virus, a major human scourge vanquished in 1980. (sciencemag.org)