2. The Stand (1990)
Deep down in the Mojave Desert, scientists and the military are working on a super-flu to possibly act as a biological weapon. Of course they cock the whole thing up and release the super-flu all over the complex, killing its inhabitants. One soldier, who happens to be infected with the virus, flees the facility. He manages to start a ring of infections that leads to the whole USA contracting the flu. It is named Captain Trips and it claims the lives of 99.4% of the population. Symptoms of Captain Trips are basically the flu from hell - fever, chest infection, sneezing etc. which get worse until the infected people die. They die a very mucous-y death. The Stand does a good job of capturing the horrors of germ warfare that leads to an apocalypse. The novel is a masterpiece but I'm less hung on the miniseries. However I liked seeing how Captain Trips travels so fast and how the world goes to hell in a hand basket. One of the deadliest diseases by far in terms of sheer numbers brought down by Captain Trips.