With increasing globalization and a world population that could grow to 11 billion in the next century, the risk of global disease is greater than ever before. In these episodes, we will look at the frightening recent outbreaks of swine flu and Ebola in places as diverse as West Africa, Hong Kong and East Germany. We will gain insights from some of the world's leading disease researchers such as Andreas Wack of London's Francis Crick Institute and discover why pandemics are the most insidious killers.