U.S. Department
of Justice
Scope of the Definition of “Variola Virus” Under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004
Date of Issuance:
Headnotes
The definition of “variola virus” in 18 U.S.C. § 175c does not include other naturally occurring orthopoxviruses, such as cowpox and vaccinia, but is rather limited to viruses that cause smallpox or are engineered, synthesized, or otherwise produced by human manipulation from the variola major virus or its components.
Updated June 23, 2015