The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story

I purchased this book for my granddaughter. She is in Nursing School and was told by one of her teachers this book would be of special interest to anyone in the medical field as well as anyone else. She said it was easy to read and held her attention very well. She was glad to have the opportunity to read this terrifying true story about an Ebola outbreak in Africa.

Marburg. Ebola. Two names that mean nothing to most laymen, but scare the hell out of virologists. You see, Marburg and Ebola are exotic viruses which, when introduced into the human population, kill nine out of ten in a ghastly and painful manner, literally dissolving their insides. So far, outbreaks of these viruses have been rare, usually occurring in remote African villages. Once, however, an Ebola virus surfaced in the United States. The Hot Zone tells the story of its arrival and the steps the military took to take prevent its spread.

Preston takes great pains to tell the stories of these killer viruses, documenting their origins and the human cost of their spread. He takes readers to Kitum Cave in Kenya, where many believe the viruses originated. Then he takes them to Germany and Africa, where outbreaks of the viruses have ravaged local populations. Finally, he brings them to a suburb of Washington, DC, where a sister virus manifests itself, threatening the safety of millions. Frightening because it's true, this story will have you nervously turning pages until the happy, but unsettling, conclusion.

Most of us live with blinders on, not realizing that death can take us any time it wants. Can't happen here you say? It already did, but the good news is we all dodged a bullet. The bad news is that it could happen again, with far more disastrous results.

As soon as I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Reading about Ebola-Z/R/S, sent chills down my spine. I was so scared, that I was afraid to touch the book next morning. I couldn't sleep through the night wondering what was going to happen next. I have lived less than two miles from the "Monkey house" and have eaten several times at the Taco Bell and McDonald's mentioned in the book. Fully understanding that the building no longer exists and that area is extremely safe, I am unsure about my reaction when I am in that area next time. One thing is certain - I have a whole lot of new appreciation for CDC,USAMRIID, and Pathologists. I am thankful to them for their altruistic service to the well being of mankind.

This book, and its sequel, Demon in the Freezer, are two of the few books that have kept me up at night. If they don't scare you to death, if you can actually put the book down, then you aren't actually reading these books. The Hot Zone is the basis for the movie Outbreak but 100 time better. It is a true story and written in a way that grips you from the first page to the very last. I teach college biology for non-science majors and I have recommended this book every semester for five years. It is easy to read and understand. Hard to beat!

I read this book while living only a few hours from Reston, VA where the US ebola outbreak took place, which made it all the more horrifying to read.
As much as we love to believe we live in a world made safe by science, it is unnerving to read about a virus, so tiny and so primative, that can have such devastating effects on humanity. As we continue to transform our landscape and become more and more relient on technology, we place ourselves at enormous risk of new and emerging diseases.
This book's recounting of the handling of this outbreak, and others shows the progress of science and the limitations people and governments interests put on our very survival.