Reading Room Document

Scope of the Definition of "Variola Virus" Under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004

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. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/482176/download.

July 24, 2008