However, Haseltine says the odds of a medicine working against a bacteria like anthrax or a virus like smallpox are very high after even early-stage tests.

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Unlike a virus or bacteria, it contains no genetic information of its own, and does not spread by reproducing or making copies of itself.

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The acute conditions are usually caused by viruses such as the "common cold" virus or by common bacteria.

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Any time a virus or a new strain of bacteria would appear entire countries and populations would die out.

BBC