Huggable Viruses Invade Your Waiting Room Stuffed animals, they're not just for, well, animals anymore. In 2002, Drew Oliver founded Giantmicrobes, Inc and created a batch of cuddly toys that represented common germs like the flu. The unusual plush creatures were a hit and Oliver has since expanded his line to 60 toys that include mad cow disease, Black Death, Ebola, salmonella, sleeping sickness, and ...