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Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus
Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus | David Quammen
7 posts | 7 read | 5 to read
“A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting that reads like a detective story.” —Walter Isaacson In 1976 a deadly virus emerged from the Congo forest. As swiftly as it came, it disappeared, leaving no trace. Over the four decades since, Ebola has emerged sporadically, each time to devastating effect. It can kill up to 90 percent of its victims. In between these outbreaks, it is untraceable, hiding deep in the jungle. The search is on to find Ebola’s elusive host animal. And until we find it, Ebola will continue to strike. Acclaimed science writer and explorer David Quammen first came near the virus while he was traveling in the jungles of Gabon, accompanied by local men whose village had been devastated by a recent outbreak. Here he tells the story of Ebola—its past, present, and its unknowable future. Extracted from Spillover by David Quammen, updated and with additional material.
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Rissa1
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Pickpick

I was about 12 years old when I read Outbreak by Robin Cook, the book that started my curiosity about the Ebola virus. I am 41 years old and still cannot stop myself from reading books of any sort related to the virus.

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jenniferw88
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Pickpick

Not a book to read at the start of a pandemic, but a few years down the line is OK 😂.

Turns out coronavirus has been around since at least 2006 but it's managed to be contained, only becoming a pandemic when it escaped Asia.

#Tbrdeckofcards #titlebeginswithe @Clwojick
#ReadingAfrica2022 #gabon @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

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BarbaraBB It sounds fascinating- a few years down the line 😉 3y
persephone1408 I thought chinese lab altered the coronaviris. 3y
shanaqui Hmm, do you mean this book claims that SARS-CoV-2 existed in 2006? SARS-CoV-1 has been known since 2002, and of course coronaviruses as a family have been around and worldwide for thousands and thousands of years, but I can't find anything in the scientific literature that suggests that SARS-CoV-2 was circulating prior to 2019...

I've always liked Quammen's work, I'll be disappointed if he's gone astray!
3y
See All 7 Comments
shanaqui @persephone1408 That's one theory that some scientists believe, and many do not. There is no conclusive proof either way, only circumstantial evidence. (My scientific opinion is, for lack of any actual proof otherwise, that it's most likely a natural zoonotic disease.) 3y
Librarybelle Agree…probably not the best book to read at the start of a pandemic 3y
jenniferw88 @persephone1408 @shanaqui probably mean SARS-CoV1. The book was mainly on Ebola, after all - coronavirus was only briefly mentioned! 3y
Bookwormjillk This does sound interesting, thanks. 3y
74 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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Beccas
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So it would seem

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Amiable
Pickpick

Self-explanatory from the title. Well-written account that brings the history of Ebola from where "The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus" leaves off up to recent events in 2014. 3 stars

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shanaqui
Mehso-so

Save yourself irritation and just get the book this originally came from, Spillover, which is very good. The content here is fine but there's little added, and the themes make more sense in the context of the other zoonotic diseases mentioned in Spillover.

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dastevensish
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Pickpick

Been reading 8 different books this year *sigh*--this is the first I've finished. Wasn't even on my radar at the start of the year but decided to read it after the second chapter of Spillover, as Ebola is an expanded and updated version of that chapter. I'm not sure there was enough new material to make it a necessary read on top of Spillover, but I call it a pick because it is a fascinating book about EVD (at least what was known as of 2014).

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TheExpatFiles
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Pickpick

This is one of my favourite nonfiction books, if not my favourite. It reads like a thriller, made even scarier by the fact that it's all happening around us. I have a definite brain crush on David Quammen.

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