Chapter Summary Of The Hot Zone

The Hot Zone is a novel detailing the effects of the limitations of human knowledge, fear, and bureaucracy on a society afflicted by a deadly viral outbreak. The book gives account to an Ebola virus outbreak taking place in the 1980’s after experiencing a similar, factual, encounter with the virus in 1976. The story begins in Kenya, where Charles Monet is infected with the Marburg virus. Preston uses Monet’s infection and the historical context of the virus as a means of drawing fear from the reader in order to warn society about future viral outbreaks. Specifically, Preston mentions the AIDS virus, which had not taken full root in America as of the book’s publishing. Because we do not know the full extent of the effects of the AIDS virus, taking the infection lightly can lead to the demise of

The book then begins to tell about the “Reston facility.” In the building, hundreds of monkeys are infected with a new form of the Ebola virus discovered by veterinarian Nancy Jaax. With a new viral threat the US government moves to euthanize the monkeys and collect blood samples for testing. After several mishaps, all of the monkeys are successfully killed and everyone avoids infection; however, the situation builds a sense of urgency in the book and reader to understand the nature of the violent power of nature. The book ends in Kenya with the author visiting the spot where the first two Marburg victims contracted the virus. Throughout the novel it becomes evident that no matter how well-studied we think we are on a certain virus, there will always be an adaptation or a new virus that puzzles even the most intelligent scientists. It speaks to how limited we are in understanding the true power of nature. The book also shows how driven we are by fear. The constant threat of exposure and infection drives researchers to understand and combat