How many of you live in Virginia? How many of you have ever visited Virginia? As college students, most of us at least know one person from Virginia, more specifically the area around Washington, D.C. The question, however, is whether or not you know that the Ebola virus was discovered in imported monkeys in Reston, Va., in the late '80s.
Most people aren't overly familiar with the Ebola virus or know that it has a sister virus called Marburg. In fact, most people aren't familiar with the high mortality rate of Ebola (nine out of 10) or that it causes, in most cases, the hemorrhaging of all body organs; this essentially results in a person bleeding out. The incubation period for the disease can be anywhere from 10 to 18 days, but once the virus takes hold and begins replicating in a host, the host ultimately cannot house the virus. A person can be dead in a week's time. It's more graphic than that, but I'll spare you the gory details.
The Ebola panic in the United States is a time that few remember vividly, but it is the central focus of Richard Preston's "science-fact" thriller titled The Hot Zone. In the four-part book, Preston researches the history of Ebola and Marburg in Africa, how it is suspected that the first humans in Africa were infected with the virus, and how the virus crossed the ocean and caused a major scare in the United States, which involved the armed forces and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Preston put much time and energy into his research. Although some names are changed to protect those infected, Preston discusses the first person to come down with the virus - he refers to him as Charles Monet - who had allegedly caught the virus from some life form inside Kitum Cave in Africa (although it's never been fully proven, even after researchers have done countless studies in the cave). More importantly, those taking care of Monet were also infected and later died of the virus. His infection with Marburg spread, but soon petered out. The first case of an American who caught the virus was Peter Cardinal, who was visiting his parents and sister in Africa. Cardinal caught the virus in Kitum Cave as well and died in much the same manner as Monet. To this day, Kitum Cave is suspected to be the breeding ground for the Ebola virus.
By wrapping up the historic background of the virus, Preston makes his readers realize its severity and the devastating aftermath it can have. By doing so, and then introducing the Reston monkeys into the equation, he terrifies the reader. Ebola in the United States? Possibly spread by air or blood? No vaccination? The reader is frightened but eager to read on in horrific anticipation.
Preston does an excellent job in establishing credibility. He speaks with numerous scientists who were directly involved and have knowledge about Ebola in general. By adding direct quotations, he adds to his case. He also is an expert at making the most menial everyday activities seem important and interesting. By not just telling the reader who the characters involved are but also delving into their lives, he causes the reader to feel an emotional attachment to them, much like in any fiction book. The only downfall is that Preston interviews and mentions so many people that it is often hard to keep track of everyone, from the army personnel to the people infected in Africa to those at the CDC.
Overall, the book was an interesting and easy read. Although a bit on the lengthy side, it will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Good thrillers are usually intriguing and easy to get through, but the fact that the book is reality only amplifies this thrill. Preston is talking about real people who were infected and died. No horror book can compare to that. When a murderer kills a town of people in a fiction book, no one is overly upset. When the book becomes reality, it's a much bigger issue. The question now is: Did Ebola come to infect people in Reston, Va.? You'll just have to read it to find out. A-
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