37: Variola Birmingham

In 1978 on the cusp of the eradication of SmallPox a Medical Photographer became infected and would ultimately die from the Variola virus. We look at how admiration, promotion and delegation led to a wholly avoidable outcome.
With John Chidgey.

Investigation Report:

• The Shooter Report (PDF)

Medical Analyses:

• CDC Analysis of the R0 of SmallPox (PDF)

Links of Potential Interest:

• SmallPox
• History of Smallpox
• Biosafety Level 4
• A Bioweapon Expert Explains Four Ways A Pathogen Can Escape From A Lab
• Review of Medical Errors in Laboratory Diagnostics and Where We Are Today
• Pathogens Sometimes Escape the Lab With Deadly Results
• 1970s Chinese pandemic was a lab mistake
• Bio-Unsafety Level 3: Could the Next Lab Accident Result in a Pandemic?
• SmallPox is not Dead
• Caroline Foulkes looks back at the 1978 outbreak
• Smallpox virus retention debate
• Lessons learned from smallpox outbreak

Support Causality on Patreon

Episode Gold Producer: 'r'.
Episode Silver Producers: Mitch Biegler, John Whitlow, Kevin Koch, Oliver Steele, Lesley Law Chan, Hafthor and Shane O'Neill.