Valerie's Hot Zone Reaction Part 1

As I read the Hot Zone by Richard Preston I was amazed of how little was known about Ebola and how lethal it was to our world today. It petrified me how Ebola could jump from one host to another killing the host in just days. My first thought was what if it reappeared again how would we be able to put it down? Could we put it down? To imagine how a single virus could wipe out a hospital as the one in Maridi in Africa. It was sad to read about doctors and nurses that were trying to help those with Ebola. They were trying to save patients lives and at the same time they did not know they would need the saving to. Because with Ebola anyone or thing can become the next host.

It is frightning to belive that by the a single touch or with one encounter with an effected person that one can catch this virus. It was hard to read how the Ebola virus started off with simple headache but at the end would lead to your body bleeding out. How can you stop Ebola nobody knows much about it. If one was infected today with Ebola would they even know? I know if it was I who was infected the answer would be no. I would put it off as a simple headache that everybody gets. I would never in my wildest dreams even think of the possibilites of Ebola. Even though the idea of having Ebola was horrific to me I could not help but admire how there were people who actually worked with Ebola at USAMRIID. It takes a lot of bravery to be able work with a hot agent that is so lethal and knowing that at every moment they are at risk. But people like Nacy Jaxx took it as task that would help people.She saw working with this hot agent as a possibilty of one day finding a cure. While learning about institutes like USAMRIID, I belive that they should be supported more. Because they are doing work that can benifit us in the future.

As I read part one and about Ebola it made me ponder on the possiblities of Ebola coming back. And how it can jump form host to host that can lead to it spreading world wide. I know that after reading part one of the Hot Zone it makes me want to become more cautious. I belive that evey one should know about Ebola and the symptoms because Ebola reappearing is always a possibity.