Will Smallpox Be the Next ‘Lab Leak’?

The media is preparing the public for the next pandemic, and the clues point to smallpox.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• While attempts have been made to assess the risks posed by research on lethal pathogens, we still know very little. We don’t know the frequency at which lab accidents happen, how often lab accidents result in exposures, or the underlying factors that allow for incidents and exposures

• We also do not know what features might be most effect…