CDCs Dr. Terrence Tumpey, Microbiologist for the National Center for Infectious Diseases, pipetting specimens of the 1918 Pandemic Influenza Virusa virus that was reconstructed in hopes of combating a future influenza pandemic. Dr. Tumpey recreated the 1918 influenza virus to identify the characteristics that made the 1918 influenza virus so harmful. This effort enables researchers to develop new vaccines and treatments for future pandemic influenza viruses. The 1918 flu epidemic was caused by