But in Sarawak, East Malaysia, they may save youngsters from a deadly virus threatening the toddler population.

CNN: Why Are the Infants Dying?

Caught up in a struggle to prevent a deadly virus from spreading around the globe, he wakes up in a daze in an Italian hospital at the start of the novel and spends the rest of the book trying to regain his bearings.

WSJ: Dan Brown returns to Europe for 'Inferno'

Unlike cold viruses, which have been tested in humans, influenza is a potentially deadly virus.

FORBES: Coughing Mannequins Shed Light On Flu Transmission

Most people might expect to suffer some ill effects from attending the famous Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich - but not to contract a potentially deadly virus from being bitten on the leg.

BBC: News | Health | Don't mention the gnaw

However, one virus which may cause a problem is West Nile Virus, a potentially deadly condition which peaks in the US in August and September.

BBC: Houses submerged in water in New Orleans

The H7N9 strain has lead to the usual concerns about the virus causing a deadly influenza epidemic in China.

FORBES: Bird Flu Claims More Lives In Shanghai

Since type A hepatitis is a virus, it cannot be treated with antibiotics, but it is rarely deadly, the health department said.

CNN: Hepatitis A scare at NYC restaurant

Plans were hatched for how best to respond to the threat from a virus that is infecting poultry around the world and might trigger a deadly pandemic of human flu.

ECONOMIST: Bird flu