Virus: "ALZ-113" - originally designed to be a cure for Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms: External bleeding, extremely high fatality. It was with a lot of scepticism that Rise of the Planet of the Apes was announced. After all, we already know what happens, right? Apparently not, because the 2011 film had a lot of twists and turns in store, and was surprisingly relatable. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it's revealed that it was ultimately a virus that was responsible for the decimation of the human race. Named ALZ-113, it was originally designed as a cure for Alzheimer's disease; this idea of science's good intentions being transformed into something terrible is a recurring theme in films about deadly viruses. The end of the film is notable for demonstrating how horrifically easy it could be for a pandemic to spread across the world, after the virus is shown travelling across the world through international airlines.
