### Question
How is the "variola virus" defined?


### Answer
The term **variola virus** is defined in *18 U.S.C. § 175c* as follows -

> a virus that can cause human smallpox or any derivative of the variola major virus that contains more than 85 percent of the gene sequence of the variola major virus or the variola minor virus

#### Citation:
  - *18 U.S.C. § 175c*
  - Heading: **PART I-CRIMES > CHAPTER 10-BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS**

