"The Hot Zone", by Richard Preston was one of the most powerful and informative books I have ever read. "The Hot Zone", is a play-by-play re-call of the origination and the spread of Ebola disease, which originated in Africa but slowly spread worldwide. Preston gives a descriptive and often times gruesome synopsis of Ebola and its effects on both humans and other mammals.
             "The Hot Zone" opens with the story of Charles Monet and his acquaintance going for a hike on Mount Elgon, a mountain directly over Kitum cave in western Kenya. In the cave Monet obtains a highly lethal disease called Marburg virus. The effects of this virus include black vomit ( a dark mix of vomit, blood and liver bile), bloodshot eyes, blood clots in organs and bursts of gushing blood from all orifices of the body. Monet travels to Nairobi, Africa where he seeks medical attention. Unfortunately at the time they could neither diagnose nor cure Charles Monet. He dies soon after obtaining the virus in a hospital in Nairobi where he passes on the disease to his Doctor, Dr. Shem Musoke who develops similar symptoms and also dies soon after exposure. Dr. Musoke tested positive for Marburg in 1980, Marburg was at the time very uncommon and very little was known about it, new discoveries and research began being done on Marburg virus. At this time it was discovered that Marburg was the least horrific virus within a family or three sister viruses , Marburg, Ebola Sudan and Ebola Zaire. Although it was known as the most "gentle" of the three, the effects were devastating and the survivors were few.
             On July, 6, 1976, a man by the name of Mr. Yu. G fell ill with a devastating illness similar in effect to Marburg, only symptoms were more severe. Immediately the highly contagious virus of Ebola Sudan infected people around him and the hospitals were shut down and quarantined due to contaminants. Fifty percent of people infecte...