The Hot Zone
In Richard Preston’s “The Hot Zone” there is the overarching theme which is that nature is a power that dwarfs the achievements and power that humans possess. This lends to the consideration that humans should strive to understand the viruses and diseases that nature “throws” at the human race. Preston uses gruesome imagery, and characterization to persuade the reader to take the direction of overcoming the viruses and horrors of nature through research to better society.
Preston’s imagery helps paint the image of the true horrors that the Ebola virus brings. One victim of the virus, Charles Monet, was exposed to “black and red vomit”, “[dissolving] connective tissue”, and “blood clots” leaving the reader with a sense of horror and fright when confronted with the power which such a small virus may possess. This newly found knowledge lends to the thought that the human race must research and understand the virus so that we as a civilization can prevent sickening fate that was Charles Monet’s. The imagery also paints a sinister picture of the virus such as when the Ebola virus was described as “snakes” due to their form(137). The idea of a snake frightens many people due to their dangerous nature, which
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The main way that Preston does this is by appealing to the sense of fear and the ongoing battle of good versus evil. By making people fear the virus Preston hopes that he drives the action towards preventing the virus’ spread and destruction because people fear for their friends and family as well as themselves. Preston’s illustration of good versus evil also creates a heroic aspect to fighting the Ebola virus as no job is more revered than that who combats evil for the common good. Overall Preston does a great job convincing the readers to join the crusade to not only end the Ebola virus but the evil that is in nature
An emerging diseases class must also anticipate what the potential issues are that may halt the eradication process. An example of a problem is when Foege had to figure out what to do when faced with a low supply of the vaccine. There were two main choices, try and target the places where the outbreak occurred, or dilute the vaccine and give it to everyone. Each had their own downside however. If Foege and his team targeted the wrong places then the virus would still spread and inevitably infect everyone in the area and wreak havoc on the region since all of the vaccine would be gone. The other option had an equally catastrophic down side. If the vaccine was too diluted and did not take then the virus could become active and those inoculated would most likely become infected with vaccine-borne smallpox. To make a long story short, the first option was chosen and actually lead to the “Surveillance and Containment” method. This method entailed surveying the population for anyone who could have the outbreak and then making sure to contain any potential outbreak from occurring. This idea of identifying the problems that are being faced and weighing the options against each other is an important concept to understand in an emerging diseases class. In an eradication effort Foege lets us know
The book jumps to a distressing story about Peter Los in 1970 in West Germany who became ill due to smallpox. After ten days he was hospitalized but medical staff did not realize he had smallpox, which is highly contagious. Preston gives vivid descriptions of the disease and how it ravages the body. Los survived his illness, but caused an epidemic that killed many others that had become exposed to him. “Today, the people who plan for a smallpox emergency can’t get the image of the Meschede hospital out of their minds.
Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: the True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. New York, NY: Clarion Books, 2003. Print.
The effect the reader perceives in the passage of Rattler is attained from the usage of the author¡¯s imagery. The author describes the pre-action of the battle between the man and the snake as a ¡°furious signal, quite sportingly warning [the man] that [he] had made an unprovoked attack, attempted to take [the snake¡¯s] life... ¡± The warning signal is portrayed in order to reveal the significance of both the man¡¯s and the snake¡¯s value of life. The author sets an image of how one of their lives must end in order to keep the world in peace. In addition, the author describes how ¡°there was blood in [snake¡¯s] mouth and poison dripping from his fangs; it was all a nasty sight, pitiful now that it was done.¡± This bloody image of snake¡¯s impending death shows the significance of the man¡¯s acceptance toward the snake. In a sense, the reader can interpret the man¡¯s sympathy toward the snake because of the possibility that he should have let him go instead of killing him.
After reading The Panic Virus, it became evident that this book can in fact be extremely useful. Perhaps people prefer not to educate themselves about vaccination on the grounds that medical language can be dry, confusing, and uninteresting. Perhaps they don’t wish to listen to medical professionals due to the fact that they feel that they have an agenda to protect themselves. Whatever the reason, the need for Mnookin’s The Panic Virus is to provide a strong argument for pro-vaccination that is given by a member of the reader’s peers. Mnookin is not a medical professional, and has no personal gain from defending the medical field; therefore, his argument is ‘by the people, for the people’. Mnookin’s tone throughout the novel also makes The Panic Virus a page-turner. Mnookin uses a tone that is at times formal and factual and at other times snide and informal, engaging the reader with every
Quammen takes a more clinical and realistic tone in regard to the Ebola crisis of 2014. By speaking in a more clinical tone he his is increasing his credibility to the audience. Quammen takes time to point out the overall dramatic moments in Preston’s novel. In comparison to Preston, Quammen takes time in the interview to promote his own novel Ebola: The Natural and human history of a deadly virus to the audience. He points this out with the intent to correct the panic and fear that Preston created. He mainly addresses the skeptics of The Hot Zone along with terrified population. Quammen states, and believes, that Ebola is the “dress rehearsal” of dieses yet to come. He doesn’t romanticize the Ebola viruses, he simple states that it needs to be “controlled and stopped”, he does not create Ebola into a disease that needs to be feared. He believes that through Preston’s novel Ebola is miscocepted and interrupted. He is attempting to change the fear into
Just as Georgiana died when the hand that nature gave her was severed from her being, so too will we suffer if we sever ourselves too far from nature. At this moment in history, with climate change, pollution and population on an exponential rise, Hawthorne’s story is as relevant as ever. It reminds us that while science can serve us as a tool, it can neither bring us perfection nor sever us from the nature to which we belong and of which we are a part.
Sometimes suffering can change a person for the worse, but it can also change them for the better. In Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, a fiction novel, shows how the main character, Matilda Cook, an impetuous and irresponsible teenager, is affected by the yellow fever epidemic that occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This story suggests how suffering can transform a person into someone better.
In recent decades, there are high numbers of the disease are breaking out worldwide. West Africa could be one of the most frequent happen area of the incidence of disease. These diseases easy to be spread and them usually can cause high risk of death. Ebola, one of the fast transmissible viruses, outbreaking wide in West Africa area recently. Ebola has caused 5,459 deaths out of 15,351 (Reuters, 2014) cases identified in Africa and the number of death is still climbing.
Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic 1793. New York, New York: Clariton Book, 2003. Print.
Ebola Virus comes from the known strain family virus called filo viruses, which are zoonotic pathogens. Symptoms include fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, throat pains, and muscle pains. These symptoms can start as early as 2 days to as late as 3 weeks after contracting the virus. This public health problem dates back to the 1970’s where the first three known outbreaks occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan (Li, Chen 2014). The Ebola virus is introduced into a population when there is close contact with the blood, secretions, or bodily fluids of animals that are infected. The virus started in Africa by humans coming into close contact with infected chimps, gorillas, bats, monkeys, antelopes, and porcupines. Ebola spreads within a community through human to human transmission. The virus is able to spread quickly due to direct contact of the skin or mucous membranes. Ebola is a problem in the world for six main reasons. First, there is no cure for the disease, vaccines have been tested but none are available for use. Second, Ebola is a very deadly disease. It can kill up to 90% of victims within a couple days of exposure (Cunningham 2003). Filo viruses cause episodic, lethal and hemorrhagic outbreaks in humans and in primates (Olival, Islam, Daszak 2013). Third, healthcare workers are becoming infected while treating patients. This is due to the close contact with patients and healthcare personnel not taking full precautions. Fourth, infected individuals are still contagious after death. This means that at funerals, family members have the potential to become infected with close contact to the infected individual. Fifth, people are infectious for as long as the virus is still pr...
Ménez, Andre’. The Subtle Beast: Snakes, from Myth to Medicine. New York, New York: CRC Press, 2003.
One of the current major concerns in the world is the outbreak of Ebola. Ebola is a infectious disease that comes from the Ebola virus and it can cause death if the patient is left untreated. The disease can be managed with treatment of the patient, however. Ebola is a disease that is a major concern in the Subsaharan African Realm, and in the North American Realm,but it is beginning to be dealt with sufficiently in the Northern American Realm.
... Nature, including human beings, is `red in tooth and claw'; we are all `killers' in one way or another. Also, the fear which inhabits both human and snake (allowing us, generally, to avoid each other), and which acts as the catalyst for this poem, also precipitates retaliation. Instinct, it seems, won't be gainsaid by morality; as in war, our confrontation with Nature has its origins in some irrational `logic' of the soul. The intangibility of fear, as expressed in the imagery of the poem, is seen by the poet to spring from the same source as the snake, namely the earth - or, rather, what the earth symbolizes, our primitive past embedded in our subconsciouness. By revealing the kinship of feelings that permeates all Nature, Judith Wright universalises the experience of this poem.
This paper will mainly focus on finding treatment for Ebola in the United States. My research essay on the treatment of Ebola is very informative. My paper is informative in such ways you will learn about experimental vaccines or drugs that may be given and their effectiveness on the patient. My paper includes information on how the U.S is succeeding or not succeeding with the treatment. In the United States many people fear the spread will not end, but with the hospitals and scientists working together, hand in hand are sure to find a way to stop the outbreak of Ebola.