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As a deadly new virus starts spreading in Wuhan, China, so do rumours about a lab there.

In the remote, jungle-covered hills of China\\u2019s far-southwestern Yunnan Province, teams of scientists have spent years intensively researching one animal: bats. The scientists are virus hunters, trying to better understand and mitigate the threat of new viruses jumping from bats to other animals and humans, potentially setting off a pandemic.

Their samples of bat droppings are brought back to labs, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology. So when a new coronavirus begins killing people in that same city, questions are raised about whether the people trying to stop a pandemic could\\u2019ve accidentally triggered one.

Archive: CBS; The White House; NPR; CGTN; NBC.

Presenter: John Sudworth \\nSeries producer: Simon Maybin\\nEditor: Richard Vadon \\nSound design and mix: James Beard \\nCommissioning editor: Dan Clarke \\nScience advice: Julian Siddle and Victoria Gill\\nExtra production: Eva Artesona and Kathy\\nLong Research support: Zisheng Xu and BBC Monitoring \\nProduction coordinators: Siobhan Reed, Helena Warwick-Cross, Sophie Hill, and Debbie Richford \\nTheme and original music: Pete Cunningham, with trumpet by Joss Murray Radio 4 \\nEditor of Editorial Standards: Roger Mahony\\nHead of BBC News - Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon