The Ebola Virus

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces and analyzes the book, "The Hot Zone," written by Richard Preston. Specifically, it discusses the realities of an Ebola virus outbreak in the United States. It looks at the history of the Ebola virus and how it could be contained if there were an outbreak. The paper discusses the content of Preston's book and its realities.

From the Paper:

"It is quite clear that Ebola is a deadly virus that could wipe out entire populations if it came into the United States (or any other country). It cannot be prevented or anticipated, and it has no real effective treatment. The author maintains this is because viruses are reacting to the Earth's population and change. He writes, "In a sense, the earth is mounting an immune response against the human species. It is beginning to react to the human parasite, the flooding infection of people, the dead spots of concrete all over the planet, the cancerous rot -outs in Europe, Japan, and the United States [...]" (Preston 406). While the Ebola Reston outbreak did not kill any humans, it certainly could have, and if a strain like it returns to the United States, the results could be catastrophic. Clearly, more study must go into the Ebola virus, so that scientists and medical professionals can understand it, and somehow learn how to treat it."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Editors. "Questions and Answers about Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever." Centers for Disease Control. 2005. 23 Nov. 2007.<http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola/qa.htm>
• Preston, Richard. The Hot Zone. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

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