Books and Films about Biological Warfare or Bioterrorism or Epidemics

Books about Biological Warfare or Bioterrorism or Epidemics

The following list is in alphabetical order by the authorʼs last name.

Alibek, Ken. 1999. Biohazard. New York: Delta. ISBN 0-385-33496-6

Anonymous. 2022. Turtles All the Way Down: vaccine science and myth, ed. by Zoey OʼToole and Mary Holland. Childrenʼs Health Defense. ISBN-13: 978-965-598-104-9.: This is one of the most important books that has ever been published on the subject of vaccines and infectious diseases. It is well-written and compelling. I urge anyone who reads this webpage to read this entire book. The table of contents can be viewed as part of the first 83 pages of this book that are avaible online. The title is explained on p. 35. You can also view the references online. For information about purchasing this book in bulk, contact the publisher.

Barry, John M. 2004. The Great Influenza: the epic story of the deadliest plague in history. London, New York, etc.: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-30.3448-0

Bliss, Michael. 1991. Plague: a story of smallpox in Montreal. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. ISBN: 0-00-215693-8

Bookchin, Debbie, and Jim Schumacher. 2004. The Virus and the Vaccine. This bookʼs subtitle as printed on the cover and title page is: “contaminated vaccine, deadly cancers, and government neglect”. However, this bookʼs subtitle as provided in the Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is: “the true story of a cancer-causing monkey virus, contaminated polio vaccine, and the millions of Americans exposed”. New York, NY: St. Martinʼs Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34272-2: This is an excellent book. However, its title was poorly chosen. The actual subject of this book is the discovery of a potentially deadly virus, namely SV40, in both major early polio vaccines: the Salk vaccine, which was used from about 1955 until about 1961, and the Sabin vaccine, which was used from about 1961 until about 2000. These polio vaccines were made using rhesus monkey kidneys, which sometimes contained the virus SV40. This virus is believed to have the ability to cause certain types of cancer in humans. The story is alarming not merely because of the implication that millions of people could have been infected with SV40 when they received polio vaccines, but also because of how the major players in the industry and regulatory agencies downplayed the evidence about this. This book, along with that of Gareth Williams (2013, 2015) provide an enormous amount of information about polio and the polio vaccines.

Boyle, Francis A. 2005. Biowarfare and Terrorism. Atlanta, GA: Clarity Press, Inc. ISBN 0-932863-46-9

Carroll, Michael C. 2004. Lab 257: the disturbing story of the governmentʼs secret Plum Island germ laboratory. New York: Harper. ISBN 0-06-001141-1

Coffey, Jan. 2008. The Deadliest Strain. Don Mills, Ontario: MIRA Books. ISBN-10 0-7783-2458-3; ISBN-13 978-0-7783-2458-4: This is a fictional account of an epidemic in the United States that takes the reader as far afield as Iraq and Afghanistan and provides a peak inside pharmaceutical companies. The denouement leaves the reader wondering about certain details. A fun thriller, but not a great work of art.

Cook, Robin. 1999-2000. Vector. New York, NY: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-17299-6: Some of the events in this book are an eerie premonition of things that actually happened only two years later.

Crosby, Alfred W. 1989. Americaʼs Forgotten Pandemic: the great influenza of 1918. Cambridge, New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-38695-0

Crosby, Molly C. 2006. The American Plague: the untold story of yellow fever, the epidemic that shaped our history. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-425-21775-7: This nonfiction book is split into four parts. Parts two and three each could be a separate book. The second part is an account of the 1878 epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee. The third is the story of the work of Walter Reed and the Yellow Fever Commission in Cuba that proved that yellow fever is mosquito-borne. Although the prose occasionally waxes purple, this book is well worth reading.

Crosby, Molly Caldwell. 2010. Asleep: the forgotten epidemic that remins one of medicineʼs greatest mysteries. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN: 978-0-425-22570-7

Daniel, Thomas M. 1997. Captain of Death: the story of tuberculosis. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press. ISBN: 1-58046-070-4: Written at a level that is accessible to the layman, yet interesting to a scientist who is not a specialist in the subject. Highly recommended.

de Kruif, Paul. 1926 and 1954. Microbe Hunters. San Diego, New York, and London: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN: 0-15-600262-0: Although this book was written close to a hundred years ago, it remains a fascinating chronicle of the work of the early pioneers in the discovery of pathogenic microbes. Highly recommended.

Dubos, René and Jean Dubos. 1952, 1987, 1996. The White Plague: tuberculosis, man, and society. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. ISBN: 0-8135-1224-7.

Dubos, René. 1996. Mirage of Health: utopias, progress, and biological change. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. ISBN: 0-8135-1260-3: Dubos explores health and diseases, the sole etiology hypothesis tacitly assumed by the germ theory of disease, the adaptation of species to their environment, and how disruption of that balance can lead to disease.

Fukkatsu no hi (Day of Resurrection) (Virus) (1964): This is the book upon which the 1980 movie of the same name is based. This is one of the few cases in which I think that a movie is better than the book upon which it is based. There are several places in this book where technical explanations and philosophical digressions are too long. Some of the key events late in the story are covered in a very abbreviated way, and a few important dialogs in the movie – for example that between President Richardson and Vice President – are missing altogether from the book.

Endicott, Stephen, and Edward Hagermann. 1998. The United States and Biological Warfare: secrets from the early Cold War and Korea. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-33472-1

Федоров, Лев А. 2005. Советское биологическое оружие: история, экология, политика. М.: Международный Социально-экологический союз. ISBN 5-88587-243-0

Follett, Ken. 2005. Whiteout. New York: Penguin Group (USA). ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21571-0: This is a fictional account of the theft of a deadly pathogen from a research facility. Can the authorities stop an ungrateful young man from delivering a deadly pathogen to unknown foreigners?

Hesse, Andreas D. 2004. Arcan-Virus. Düsseldorf: Sauerläder Verlag.: This is a science fiction work about living with the Arcan virus, which is highly contagious and deadly unless infected persons take a weekly dose of Carviron, an expensive antiviral drug. In German.

Hughes, David A. 2024. Covid-19, Psychological Operations, and the War for Technocracy, vol. 1. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN-13: 978-3-031-41849-5; ISBN 978-3-031-41850-1 (eBook).

Humphries, Suzanne, and Roman Bystrianyk. 2013-2023. Dissolving illusions: disease, vaccines, and the forgotten history, 10th anniversary limited edition. ISBN-13: 978-8-9869363-2-1.: This book is probably the most comprehensive critical examination of the efficacy and safety of vaccines. It is 681 pages long and contains 17 color figures, 62 graphs, and 53 photographs. It is written at the level of the informed layman: it provides the information in clear language and explains any technical terms that are used. Chapter 1 ("The Not So Good Ol' Days") covers how bad living and working conditions were in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when infectious diseases were much more prevalent. Chapter 2 ("Suffer the Little Children") is an exposé of child labor a this time. Chapter 3 ("Disease &emdash; A Way of Life") covers the common diseases of this period. Chapter 3 ("Smallpox and the First Vaccine") explains how early smallpox vaccines were made and administered, compares the incidence of smallpox with the dates vaccination mandates were imposed. Chapter 4 ("The White Plague") compares the death rate of tuberculosis with that of smallpox and illustrates how both declined over time. Tuberculosis is interesting in this regard, because although there is a vaccine against tuberculosis (the BCG vaccine), this vaccine is not used in the USA, but the death rate of tuberculosis declined anyway. Chapter 6 ("Deadly Medicine") covers bloodletting and medicines containing mercury, among other toxic substances. Chapter 7 ("Contaminated Vaccines") explains how the smallpox vaccine and the way it was administered caused many people to come down with foot and mouth disease, anthrax, and syphilis. Chapter 8 ("The Honorable Doctors Awakening") explains how even as doctors became aware of the problems caused by vaccines, they were prevented from doing much about them by the trifecta of the law (vaccine mandates), the need for doctors to earn money, and the fear of harm to their reputations that might occur if they questioned established beliefs. Chapter 9 ("The Great Demonstration") covers English smallpox vaccine mandates and penalties for non-compliance involving fines and imprisonment, and reports the large anti-vaccine demonstration that occurred in the town of Leicester, England on March 23, 1885. Chapter 10 ("The Rebel Experiment") recounts how Leicester's new government stopped pushing for vaccination. Vaccination rates dropped to ten percent, and a new method (later called the Leicester method) was developed to deal with smallpox: quarantine of smallpox patients and thorough decontamination of their homes. Despite predictions that Leicster would suffer a horrible epidemic of smallpox, this did not happen. In fact, not only did the incidence of smallpox in Leicester steadily decline after the Leicster method was instituted, but the incidence of several other diseases declined in parallel. Chapter 11 ("THe Power of the State") provides more information about vaccine mandates in England and the United States, and also the eugenics and movement and forced sterilizations. Chapter 12 ("The Case of ARthur Smith Jr.") tells the tragic story of an 11 year-old boy who was vaccinated because of a vaccine mandate in New Windsor, New York. Chapter 13 ("The Health Revolution") explains how a new public health movement improved sanitary conditions. At the beginning of the chapter there is a quotation from Dr. Thurman Rice "It is not strange that health improves when the population gives up using diluted sewage as the principle beverage." Chapter 14 ("The Amazing Decline") documents how almost all infectious diseases declined from the end of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century. This decline happened before childhood vaccines were widely adopted, and was true even for diseases that did not have vaccines, such as scarlet fever and tuberculosis. (There is a vaccine for TB, but it is not used in the USA.) Chapter 15 ("The 'Disappearance' of Polio") debunks what has been called "the founding myth of modern medicine", namely that polio vaccines eliminated polio. It also documents the role played by DDT, lead, arsenic, and other pesticides in causing paralysis. Chapter 16 ("Whooping Cough") shows that deaths from whooping cough (pertussis), similar to deaths from many other infectious diseases, had already declined to almost zero before the vaccine rollout. This chapter also explains "original antigenic sin". OAS refers to how vaccines can misprogram the immune system so that it reacts inappropriately to a pathogen. When this happens, the immune system has more trouble clearing infections. In the case of the pertussis vaccine, it has been experimentally shown that baboons with natural immunity are able to clear pertussis colonization of the airway more quickly than those receiving the acellular pertussis vaccine. This chapter also explains how even when vaccine immunity does not "commit original antigenic sin", vaccines change the cycle of susceptibility and immunity from that which is characteristic of natural infection. In the case of natural infection, mothers have natural immunity, which they pass along to their children. Only after infants are weaned and maternal immunity wanes do they become susceptible. They then acquire immunity through natural infection. In the case of vaccine immunity, infants are no longer protected by maternal immunity; adolescents and adults quickly lose their vaccine immunity. Chapter 17 ("Measles") shows that deaths from measles, like deaths from most other infectious diseases, had fallen to almost zero before the vaccine rollout in 1963. It also discusses antibody-dependent enhancement, which means that the body's antibodies actually increase susceptibility to the disease. It touches on the work of Dr. Andrew Wakefield and the fact that the wild-type measles virus has migrated from the strain of measles used in vaccines. The role of vitamins A and C in preventing measles is discussed. Chapter 18 ("Starvation, Scurvy, and Vitamin C") expands on the role of nutrition and vitamins in maintaining good health. Chapter 19 ("Lost Remedies") lists a number of natural remedies that were used in the past to maintain good health and treat some infectious diseases. This book's last chapter (chapter 20, "Belief and Fear") analyzes the misleading claims made in some books by vaccine advocates and explains how they have simply ignored the facts or misrepresnted them. This book is a longer read than the "turtles" book (Anonymous. 2022. Turtles All the Way Down: vaccine science and myth, ed. by Zoey OʼToole and Mary Holland. Childrenʼs Health Defense. ISBN-13: 978-965-598-104-9.), which might be a better first book to read about this subject. However, this is probably the most comprehensive book ever written on this subject. The tenth anniversary edition also comes with a companion and reference volume.

Hunter, Gwen.2002. Prescribed Danger. Rock Hill, SC: Bell Rosa Books. ISBN-13: 978-1-62268-011-5: This is the second book in the Rhea Lynch, M.D. series. Emergency room physician Rhea Lynch is faced with an epidemic of a severe respiratory bacterium. With the help of her police officer friend Mark, she helps track down the source.

Kennedy, Robert F., Jr. 2021. The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, big pharma, and the global war on democracy and public health. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-1-5107-6680-8.: This book covers much more than Anthony Fauci: it provides very important information about the AIDS crisis and the long-standing mismanagement of public health.

Kennedy, Robert F., Jr. 2023. The Wuhan Cover-Up and the terrifying bioweapons arms race. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-1-5107-7398-1.: The title of this book is much narrower than what it actually covers: the book provides valuable background information about the history of biological warfare and the biological weapons industrial complex in the United States.

London, Jack. 1912, 1929. The Scarlet Plague. New York: The Macmillan Company.: This is a fictional, post-apocalyptic account of life following an uncontrollable epidemic. An old man who lived through it struggles to explain to his grandsons what life was like in the 20th century.

Mikovits, Judy and Kent Heckenlively. 2020. Plague of Corruption: restoring faith in the promise of science. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5107-5224-5.

Miller, Judith, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad. 2001. Germs: biological weapons and Americaʼs secret war. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-87158-0.

Mullins, Eustace. 1988. Murder by Injection: the story of the medical conspiracy against America. Staunton, VA: National Council for Medical Research. Republished by Omnia Veritas Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1911417002.: In the foreword to this book, its author writes that this book was "the result of some forty years of investigative research [and represented] a logical progression from my previous books [exposing] the international control of monetary issue and banking practices in the United States." The book starts by explaining the history of the American Medical Association, the lack of qualifications and corruption of its early leaders, and the heavy-handed methods it used to stifle dissent. The book goes on to discuss the "Four Holy Waters" (in the words of Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn), comprising vaccination, fluoridation, intravenous fluids, and silver nitrate. Mullins points out the enormous cost and poor outcomes of medical care in the United States, and the steady increase in chronic illnesses. He goes on to discuss the use of pesticides such as DDT, chemicals put in food (dyes, etc.), and many other practices that have become widely accepted in America. The role of Rockefeller money in subjugating the medical profession is discussed throughout the book. This book is written for the layman: no special education is needed to read it.

Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0-385-77608-2: This book tells the true story of the yellow fever epidemic that occurred in Philadelphia in 1793. It is written at a level suitable for younger readers (high-school age), but is still very informative and an enjoyable read.

Newby, Kris. 2019. Bitten: the secret history of Lyme disease and biological weapons. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062896278.: This true story is partly an autobiographical account of how the author and her husband struggled with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and the medical establishmentʼs mismanagement of their diseases. It is also a biographical account of the life and work of Willy Burgdorfer, whom she contacted while writing this book, and an exploration into the origins of Lyme disease and the US governmentʼs work on the development of biological weapons. The author is known for her film Under Our Skin (2008).

Olszewski, Erin Marie. 2020. Undercover Epicenter Nurse: how fraud, negligence & greed led to unnecessary deaths at Elmhust Hospital. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1-5107-6366-1: A nurse who volunteered to work at the worst hospital in the USA at the worst time reports her first-hand experiences. Her life story before that, including service in Iraq, is also interesting in its own right. She recorded a video that went viral shortly after it was posted, but apparently Youtube has deleted the account.

O'Shea, Tim. 2020. Vaccination Is Not Immunization: The War On Children. ISBN-13 979-8557288606.

Porter, Katherine Anne. 1939. Pale Horse, Pale Rider.: This fictional story is a semi-autobiographical stream-of-consciousness account of a young woman who falls ill with influenza during the great epidemic of 1918-1919.

Preston, Richard. 1995. The Hot Zone. New York: Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-47956-5.: This book tells the true story of several hemorrhagic viruses (Marburg and different strains of Ebola), their symptoms, where victims came down with them, etc., and the panic caused by a related virus brought to the United States by a monkey.

Randall, David K. 2019. Black Death at the Golden Gate: the race to save America from the bubonic plague. New York-London: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393609455: The author tells the story about how members of the U.S. Public Health Service (then called the Marine Hospital Service) fought an incipient epidemic of plague in San Francisco, and later Los Angeles at the beginnging of the 20th century, before it was universally accepted that the disease was spread by bites from infected rat fleas. A gripping account.

Reiss, Karina, and Sucharit Bhakdi. 2020. Corona Fehlalarm? Zahlen, Daten und Hintergründe. Berlin: Goldegg Verlag GmbH. ISBN 978-3-99060-190-7

Reiss, Karina, and Sucharit Bhakdi. 2021. Corona unmasked: neue Zahlen, Daten, Hintergründe. Berlin: Goldegg Verlag GmbH. ISBN 978-3-99060-231-7

Rose, Steven, ed. 1968. CBW: chemical and biological warfare. London Conference on CBW. London-Toronto-Wellington-Sydney: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. SBN 245-59485-X.

Rosebury, Theodor. 1949 (reprint 2013). Peace or pestilence biological warfare and how to avoid it. ISBN 10 933312652X; ISBN 13 9789333126526

Shah, Sonia. 2010. The Fever: how malaria has ruled humankind for 500,000 years. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-312-57301-0.

Trevor, Elleston. 1957. The Pillars of Midnight. London: Heinemann.: This book served as the basis for the film 80,000 Suspects (1963). The film follows the book very closely. The title is explained on p. 178: the “pillars of midnight” stands for the men and women who continue to work at all hours of the night – emergency room doctors, firemen, police, night watchmen, etc. – to keep society safe.

Вагнер, Яна Михайловна. 2022. Вонгозеро: роман. Москва: Издательство АСТ. ISBN 978-5-17-121428-9.: When a deadly pandemic strikes Russia, the main character and her husband decide to run away to a vacation home in the far north. They set out on a long road trip in the winter, along with two neighbors and a few other people they know.

Wasik, Bill and Monica Murphy. 2012. Rabid: a cultural history of the worldʼs most diabolical virus. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-02373-8

Weintraub, Pamela. 2008-2009. Cure Unknown: inside the Lyme epidemic. New York: St. Martinʼs Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-37812-7.: The author discusses Lyme disease, the history of official guidelines for its treatment, and the personal experiences of many patients, including those of her own family.

Williams, Gareth. 2010, 2011. Angel of Death: the story of smallpox. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-30231-0.: This book is thoroughly enjoyable for anyone who has at least some scientific or medical background and is interested in the subject. It is long and detailed, but is always interesting.

Williams, Gareth. 2013, 2015. Paralysed with Fear: the story of polio. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-50658-0.: This book is thoroughly enjoyable for anyone who has at least some scientific or medical background and is interested in the subject. It is long and detailed, but is always interesting.

Williams, Peter, and David Wallace. 1989. Unit 731: The Japanese Armyʼs secret of secrets. London-Syndey-Auckland-Toronto: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-39463-3.

Films about Biological Warfare or Bioterrorism or Epidemics

The following list is approximately in chronological order.

Die Pest in Florenz (1918)

The Dying Detective (1921): Perhaps the first(?) film about biocrime.

Arrowsmith (1931)

Doctor Bull (Dr. Bull) (1933)

The Citadel (1938)

Isle of the Dead (1945)

Singoalla (The Wind Is My Lover) (Gypsy Fury) (1949)

The Killer that Stalked New York (1950)

Panic in the Streets (1950)

What You Should Know about Biological Warfare (1951 or 1952): This is an official Civil Defense film produced at the height of the Cold War. Of course today it seems rather “corny”. Its explanation of the possible methods of attack is fairly accurate, although its recommendations about how to fight a BW attack – personal hygiene – are more appropriate for a school health class than for Civil Defense purposes.

Det Sjunde inseglet [The Seventh Seal] (1957): This film is really about death rather than about biological warfare or bioterrorism or epidemics. It takes place against the background of the black death of the 14th century, but the plague plays only a very minor role in the film.

80,000 Suspects (1963)

The Last Man on Earth (1964): A plague spreads over the earth turning infected persons into vampires. A person who believes himself the only survivor struggles against them. He meets another survivor and struggles to find a cure. Based on the Richard Matheson novel I Am Legend, later remade as The Omega Man (1971, see below) and I Am Legend (2007, see below).

The Satan Bug (1965)

On Her Majestyʼs Secret Service (1969)

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

The Omega Man (1971): This film concerns life in Los Angeles after biological warfare with what is described as plague. It raises philosophical questions about “Western” (technological) civilization. However, its portrayal of the plague victims and general plot place it in the category of “zombie” movies (see below).

The Crazies (Code Name Trixie) (1973): When viewed in 2006, this film betrays certain technical weaknesses: the phony blood following gunshot wounds, the music, etc. However, in several important ways it anticipates films that come much later: The fact that the disease is caused by an accident in an American government biological warfare program (Warning Sign; Spill, etc.); the way in which the American government tries to contain the disease, including discussion of using a nuclear weapon on an American city (Outbreak, Contagion, Global Effect, etc., although Andromeda Strain seems to be the first to do so); etc. The film also has certain characteristics of a “zombie” movie. Today mostly of historical importance.

The Missing Are Deadly (TV) (1975)

The Cassandra Crossing (1976): Marred only by a scandal affecting one of the leading actors, this outstanding film addresses the moral dilemas surrounding the potential spread of a deadly disease.

The Plague (1978): Criticized as corny by some, this film raises philosophical questions about whether mankind should tinker with genes. This film is very interesting in its detailed exploration of how epidemics spread from their initial source. This film is not based on the book by Camus.

Avalanche Express (1979): Although the plot of this film supposedly involves biological weapons, the action of the film bears no relationship to them at all: It is merely the background for the action, which is a cold-war thriller, complete with heavily armed “deep cover” Soviet agents who are citizens of West European democracies. I consider this film to be outside the genre, and it is only mentioned here for completeness, since it is sometimes mentioned in this connection. The action takes place on a train, as does The Cassandra Crossing (1976) (see above).

Endangered Species (1982): This film is partly factual, based on a series of cattle mutilations that actually did take place. It clearly implies that these cattle mutilations were the product of biological warfare experiments; that the mutilations might have been done to remove lesions that might point to the true cause of death of the cattle; that the dead and mutilated cattle were dumped from helicopters at night. Despite the carefully worded statements of the characters that “any organized group” – the right, the left, organized crime, etc. – could be behind the biological weapons research, the following factors make it clear that the film is implying that the culprit is the American government: the statement at the beginning of the film that the US had renounced the use of biological weapons; the fact that the culprits are using a site that was known to have been used by the military at some time in the past; the fact that the culprits were in contact with an elected official in Washington, D.C.; along with other details. The thesis is interesting, but it is hard to understand why such a well-organized and well-funded group would not have found it easier to use an incinerator to dispose of the incriminating carcases, rather than dump them where they were certain to be discovered and arouse suspicion. Some people might consider this the ultimate paranoia film, complete with black helicopters, etc.

Intimate Agony (TV) (1983)

Warning Sign (1985): This film is not very well known, perhaps because none of the cast is a "superstar", although they are all perfectly good actors. However, this film is a very good representative of this genre in every respect. In the film, a bioweapons research lab is disguised as an agricultural research station. (The use of agricultural researchers for bioweapons research is reminiscent of the use of use of veterinarians for this purpose, which has been documented: Medical doctors cannot be used, since they would be barred from doing so by the Hippocratic oath.) An accident occurs, releasing an infectious agent in the lab. The lab is then locked down to prevent spread of the disease outside the lab. The symptoms of the disease give the film some characteristics of a horror film, specifically a "zombie" film (see below), but this film is the only one I am aware of that does a good job of providing a real-world explanation for the bizarre behavior of infected people: The lab had succeeded in splicing the relevant part of the borna virus into highly contagious bacteria, for use as a weapon. Of the movies I am aware of in which infected people display bizarre, aggressive behavior, or act like "zombies", the only other one I can think of which even attempts to name an actual disease is 28 Days Later (2002) (see below), in which the disease is identified as "the rage". The presence of the military in the film is reminiscent of Outbreak.

1918 (1985)

Epidemic (1987): In this film the epidemic plays a very small role, and this film is only of marginal interest in this connection; however it is listed for the purpose of completeness.

The Carrier (1988): This film is sometimes mentioned as a film having to do with epidemics, etc. However, this film is a pure horror film. Its premise, namely that a human disease carrier can contaminate inanimate objects which cannot themselves spread the disease to other inanimate objects but which can spread the disease to humans and other animals is totally unconvincing. Whatever interesting facets the film might have – societyʼs marginalization and scapegoating of “peripheral” members, mob psychology, etc. – this film has no interest whatsoever with regard to films about epidemics, etc.

Silent Assassins (1988): This film supposedly deals with germ warfare, however I consider it outside the genre. An elderly biochemist has developed a formula that is needed to produce a superweapon. He refuses to divulge it and resigns, resulting in his kidnapping. The "good guys" then try to rescue him. The formula he supplies has no more connection to "germ warfare" than does the rest of the film. This is a "kung fu" film complete with martial arts swords, etc. Germs and disease play no role in it.

Hei Tai Yang 731 (1988)

The Berlin Conspiracy (1992): Terrorists shoot their way into an East German weapons lab and steal four cannisters of a biological weapon (similar to what happens in Global Effect [2002], see below). The cannisters will start to leak once they thaw (similar to what happens in Chill Factor [1999]). Interestingly enough, the cannisters are presumably headed for Iraq. This happens as the Berlin Wall is coming down, so the CIA and Stasi (East German secret police) work together to recover the cannisters. This film emphasizes chasing and shooting, and the role played by the biological warfare agent is really fairly minor: The heroes might as well have been trying to recover stolen money or artwork.

La Peste (The Plague) (1992): Although this film is supposedly based on the novel by Albert Camus, it departs widely from the book. The change of setting from Algeria to South America, the constant presence of soldiers, and the forced detentions in the stadium lend credence to the assertion of some observers that the real subject of this film is the events that occurred under periods of military dictatorship in certain South American countries. The disease does not play a very significant role in this film, and I do not consider it to belong to the genre of "films about biological warfare or bioterrorism or epidemics". It is included here only because people who have heard of the film but not seen it might wonder why it is not listed.

Quiet Killer (Black Death) (TV) (1992)

Jericho Fever (TV) (1993)

Daybreak (1993)

And the Band Played on (1993)

Philadelphia (1993)

The Stand (1994) (mini): The first part of this four-part mini series, entitled “The Plague”, is definitely part of this genre, if viewed alone. Members of the American military may object to the fact that unarmed civilians are shot by the military in the film (not portrayed, but mentioned). On the other hand, the governmentʼs denial in the film that anything is wrong is a true echo of what happened during the 1918 influenza epidemic (see John Barryʼs book). The apocalyptic vision of all four parts (The Plague, The Dreams, The Betrayal, The Stand), when viewed as a whole – which invites comparison with Quo Vadis? and perhaps even the Book of Revelation – place this film in a category of its own.

Trollsyn (1994)

Twelve Monkeys (1995): Sometimes mentioned in connection with films about disease and epidemics, this film, with its time travel, etc., is closer to the genre of science fiction than to the genre of "films about biological warfare or bioterrorism or epidemics". The film is interesting in this respect only in that the pathogen comes from a laboratory and is deliberately released, rather than being the result of a "natural" event. The epidemic occurs "off stage", before the action in the "future", and after the action in the "present" (which represents the "past" from the perspective of the "future"), so it is part of the "stage set" rather than the action. The film acknowledges La Jetée (1962) as its inspiration.

Deadly Outbreak (1995)

Outbreak (1995)

Hussard sur le toit, Le (1995): This film is sometimes mentioned in this connection. Although in this film the cholera epidemic is really part of the background, the film is so enjoyable and of such high quality — the photography or music alone make it worth watching — that it is well worth watching.

Terminal Virus (1995) (TV): Nuclear and biological warfare have ended civilization as we know it. A lethal virus has infected everyone, however, it is only lethal when men and women make love. For this reason, men and women live in separate camps and are constantly at war with each other. The son of a doctor who has discovered a cure struggles to return humankind to "normal". On a certain level, this film belongs to the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction, that is, it concerns life on earth after a devastating event. However, the fact that the virus is part of the backstory, the dubious premise that the virus is only lethal when men and women make love, and the emphasis on battle scenes and scantily clad, attractive young women place this film outside the genre of films about diseases, plagues, etc. The conspicuous theme of the war between the sexes brings to mind the Polish film Seksmisja (Sex Mission). Entertaining, but not a film that will long be remembered.

Spill (1996): Intrigue in high places leads to a spill of a contagious biological warfare agent in a national park where the POTUS is scheduled to deliver a highly publicized speech. A Secret Service agent gets involved in a roundabout way, and saves the day. This is a fun thriller, but the role played by BW is very slight.

Plague Fighters (1996)

Pandoraʼs Clock (TV) (1996)

Burning Zone (TV) (1996)

Yibola bing du (1996)

Operation Delta Force (1997) (TV)

Contagious (1997) (TV): Despite the fact that this is a "made for TV" movie, in many respects it is more realistic than many feature films. The disease is cholera, the transmission path is conventional, the scenario is realistic.

The Patriot (1998): The leader of a Montana militia obtains a lethal biological warfare agent and a vaccine for it. To advance his agenda, he takes the antidote and then infects himself, planning to pass the lethal infection the authorities (police, judge, etc.), while staying safe himself (since he took the antidote). A local doctor of Indian (Native American) ancestry who has experience working with this virus from an earlier career (part of the back-story) works to find a cure. This film repeats earlier themes of biological warfare agents being released from US government labs and causing epidemics among the civilian population. This film is special because of its focus on Indians. However, even if all the other merits of this film are disregarded, the spectacular scenery and music alone make this film enjoyable.

Voyage of Terror (1998) (TV): A highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to ebola spreads rapidly among the passengers of a cruise ship and the ship is placed under quarantine. Meanwhile, mutinous crew members and intrigue in the halls of power provide excitement while the few doctors on board help the victims struggle with the disease. As of this writing it seems that the film, although an American production, can only be obtained from Germany – in German WITHOUT English subtitles – under the title Kreuzfahrt des Schreckens.

Influenza 1918 (1998) (TV): This nonfiction film presents interviews with survivors and archival photographs and other material to give the viewer a good impression of what it was like to live during the pandemic of so-called "Spanish" influenza in 1918.

Virus (1999): Despite its title, this film has nothing to do with epidemics or viruses (except perhaps by a stretch to computer viruses). It bears more similarity to the “Borg” Star Trek film (Star Trek: First Contact (1996)) than to any of the other films listed here. It is listed here only for the purpose of completeness, since viewers who see its title elsewhere might wonder about whether it belongs here.

Chill Factor (1999): This film supposedly concerns “a new biological chemical weapon”. However, the inventorʼs discussion of “the position of the cobalt atom”, taken together with the weaponʼs effect – that of an explosive rather than a contagious disease – places this film entirely outside of this genre. It is included here only for completeness, since it is sometimes mentioned in this connection. The idea that the weapon had to be kept cold echoes The Berlin Conspiracy (1992).

D.R.E.A.M. Team (1999)

Fatal Error (TV) (1999)

Runaway Virus (2000) (TV) (also known as "The Millennium Plague"): This film is very underrated. This film is currently unavailable in the US and I had to send away to THAILAND to get it. This film is the only (fictional) film I know of that deals with the possibility of a pandemic of influenza. Influenza was – and remains – the biggest threat to mankind of all diseases, including plague, ebola, you name it. This film is more credible in many ways than most other films which deal with the possibility of pandemic disease. Its premises about disease are correct; its handling of the "Russian North" is good; its portrayal of "south-of-the-border" matters is quite reasonable. This film is definitely worth watching for people who care about the SUBJECT MATTER of the film, as opposed to whether big-name actors appear in it or its mushy love scenes, etc.

Contaminated Man (2000)

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Contagion (2001): The action of this film is better described as "biocrime" than "bioterrorism": The motive is extortion and Ebola is the method.

WW 3 (also called Winds of Terror) (2001)

Smallpox 2002: The Silent Weapon (TV) (2002)

Resident Evil (2002)

Derailed (2002): A NATO asset steals a biological warfare agent in Slovakia, and a NATO operative is sent there to "extract" her and bring her to Munich. The biological warfare agent, called SP-43, is a modified form of smallpox (variola) that has an extremely short incubation period. Its development is part of the backstory, which is not completely clear, but given the fact that it appears to have been stolen in Slovakia and is being transported to Munich by a NATO agent, it appears to have been developed by the Slovak government or some other Eastern Block country during the Cold War. The theft and transfer of the virus to the West is complicated by a birthday surprise and a terrorists hijacking.

Global Effect (2002): Terrorists shoot their way into a laboratory studying an unusual biological agent (similar to what happens in The Berlin Conspiracy [1992]). The motives of the villain are murky, but the fact that he is a bioterrorist is incontrovertible.

28 Days Later (2002): This film pushes the envelope between the genre of “films about biological warfare or bioterrorism or epidemics” and horror films. The focus of the film is on living in the aftermath of an epidemic. It is the filmʼs graphic portrayal of the infected and their unusual behavior that gives the film its "horror" aspect. (The filmʼs own director used the word "horror" to describe it.). In some respects this film can be categorized as a "zombie" film.

Cabin Fever (2002): This film is sometimes mentioned in this connection, but it is purely a horror film. The only notable thing about it is that the "f" word is used more frequently than in any film that has ever been produced in the history of cinematography.

The Paradise Virus (2003) (TV)

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004): This film has a lot of action, but very little attention is devoted to the the infectious agent. It bears similarities to the films The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), The Crazies (1973), Warning Sign (1985), and 28 Days After (2002) in that it involves a highly infectious virus that infects people, turning them into "zombies". It also repeats the theme, common in this genre, of a disease agent deliberately developed in a biological weapons laboratory, as in The Satan Bug (1965), The Crazies (1973), Warning Sign (1985), The Berlin Conspiracy (1992), The Spill (1996). However, in most earlier films, the biological weapons laboratory is run by the United States government, whereas in this film the laboratory is run by a private corporation called the "Umbrella" corporation. The visual effects and action leave little room for substance.

The Plague (2005): This is a documentary about the "Black Death". It was produced by the History Channel, so it is natural that it devotes most of its attention to the historical perspective rather than details about its symptoms, etiology, etc.

Containment. Volume 1, episode 2 of Eleventh Hour (TV) (2006): A deadly infectious disease strikes a man dead. Did he get it from excavating graves in an old church, from contact with a corpse (when working in his sideline as an embalmer), from a Chinese immigrant, or from somewhere else? A scientist from the Home Office and a member of the police try to track down the source before it spreads and becomes an epidemic.

Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America (2006 TV): The authorities decide how to handle a rapidly spreading, deadly epidemic.

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

I Am Legend (2007)

28 Weeks Later (2007): This film is a sequel to 28 Days Later (2002). If 28 Days Later pushed the envelope between the genre of "films about biological warfare or bioterrorism or epidemics" and horror films, this sequel of it actually crosses the line. The action begins when reconstruction has begun.

Under the Eightball (2009)

Contagion (2011): A man loses his wife to a new disease and struggles to keep himself and his daughter safe as social order breaks down. I was told by a specialist that this film is scientifically very realistic, as films go. In fact, this film seems even more realistic than reality in 2020: in this film, CDC officers say that the sick should be isolated and their contacts should be quarantined, rather than that everyone in the entire country should be put under house arrest. In this film the CDC develops the vaccine itself, rather than paying private companies to develop it.

Сепсис 002 Сибирская язва 79 ТАУ (2019): This is a television documentary about the outbreak of inhalation anthrax that occurred in Sverdlovsk (Ekaterinburg) in 1979, which resulted in 64 deaths, according to official statistics. The author of the film was Vlad Nekrasov. The film is close to two hours long, and is divided into two parts. The film includes on-site footage and interviews with people who worked and lived there at that time. At the time, the epidemic was attributed to people eating the meat of infected cattle. However, the medical personnel treating the victims found inhalation anthrax rather than gastrointestinal anthrax or cutaneous anthrax, so this possibility can be ruled out. The film presents three possible causes of the epidemic. The first is that a facility in this city was producing weapons-grade anthrax and that some was accidentally released. The military strongly denies this. However, no formal accusation about this has ever been made, merely insinuations, so there also has never been an official denial. The second is that the facility was working on a vaccine for anthrax (as claimed by the military), and that some was accidentally released. The third possibility is that the epidemic was deliberately caused by the USA in an attempt to discredit the USSR. It would have been difficult to cause an epidemic in Sverdlovsk, since it was 800 miles east of Moscow and at the time it was a closed city. (This means that no foreigners were allowed there.) Producing an epidemic there would have required either the help of local people or dropping a bomb from a high-altitude overflight. However, proponents of this theory claim that the Voice of America reported the anthrax epidemic before local medical personnel had even figured out what had caused the epidemic. This documentary does not attempt to draw any conclusion about which cause is correct.

Свердловский кошмар Смерть из пробирки (сибирская язва) (2019)"

"Zombie" movies: There is a whole subgenre of films about disease which turn people into "zombies" whose portrayal and behavior, aside from being unrealistic, places them more in the category of "horror" films.

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