Deadly Invaders: Virus Outbreaks Around the World, from Marburg Fever to Avian Flu

I was at the American Library Conference in New Orleans scoping out various publisher booths when I found myself at the Kingfisher location in possession of a nice hot pink non-fiction tome with the vibrant words, "Deadly Invaders" popping out of the cover. I knew that the New York Times had started publishing books for children, much as National Geographic has, but this was the first of its kind I'd had a chance to handle for myself. So for three or four nights in a row, I used this title to cautiously immerse myself in every dangerous virus outbreak from AIDS to SARS. The book is a fascinating look at how our ever-shrinking world may someday face a pandemic of the worst possible nature. For the kid that wants some info on deadly diseases that kill with no cure, I can't think of a better book to hand them. Just don't be tossing this title casually to any child prone to apocalyptic fears. Author Denise Grady is a science reporter for The New York Times and has been so since 1998. In the eight years since she joined the Gray Lady, Ms. Grady has had the mixed honor of being in a position to learn as much as possible about some of the deadliest diseases in the world. Grady begins "Deadly Invaders" with in-depth study of Marburg Fever. To study the effects of this viral hemorrhagic disease, Grady traveled to Luanda, Angola to view the doctors working in the area. She then traveled to the much smaller and, to be frank, filthier city of Uige and the province of the same name. Grady recounts both these experiences with the professionalism of a true reporter, then fills out the book with summaries of six other deadly diseases. The effect is simultaneously devastating and gripping (in a way that differs not too greatly from watching an informative but nasty car wreck on the highway). To be honest with you, I had never even heard of the Marburg Fever until I read Grady's account of it. Now that I have, I am under the distinct impression that it is going to kill me. No no, I'm kidding you. In fact, if anything, Grady's story comes across as a rather hopeful piece on the competence of contemporary doctors. Sure there have been outbreaks and deaths all over the world from various viral amalgamations, but not one has ever turned into a full-blown pandemic. This is, to my mind, nothing short of amazing. Take, for example, the book's account of SARS. Providing a particularly useful little map o' infection, the reader is able to see how a single traveler from China managed to infect four hundred people when he stayed at a single hotel. Yet for all this, we are not currently walking around with masks on our faces. Well done us. And well done, Ms. Grady. Her writing in this title for youth never patronizes her younger readers. She has the singular ability to make complex ideas and issues simple without being simplistic. In the book's introduction, for example, she is able to synthesize the "Why should I care about viral outbreaks?" questio

Denise Grady is a medical reporter who decided to survey the threats of flu and new illnesses caused by viruses, journeying to Angola to study the spread of Marburg. Hers is not only a survey of a single disease, but charts the course of health issues, scientific investigation, and accompany social and ethical issues. Students in grades 5-8 will find Deadly Invaders: Virus Outbreaks Around the World, from Marburg Fever to Avian Flu to be an important first-person journey with many implications for modern health.

When I received my copy of DEADLY INVADERS, I had every intention of focusing on two of the diseases I was most familiar with--Avian (Bird) Flu and West Nile Disease. I had never actually heard of Marburg Fever, but quickly realized that a large portion of the book was devoted to this disease, and became intrigued. The Marburg Story is broken down into six sections: Luanda, Angola; The Hot Zone; Arrival in Uige; Claudia's Funeral; The Outbreak Ends, and Animal Origins. So what is Marburg Fever? The Marburg virus is found in Africa, Asia, and South America, and is called a viral hemorrhagic fever. Outbreaks tend to erupt without warning, and although they cause rapidly fatal diseases, the illnesses start out with ordinary flu symptoms--headache, fever, aches and pains, an occasional rash, diarrhea and vomiting. What causes Marburg Fever to become deadly, though, is the fact that about half of the victims who suffer from the flu-like symptoms then begin to bleed, both internally and externally. What often follows is a breakdown of vital organs like the heart, kidneys, and liver from the fluid that is leaking out of the blood vessels. Sounds horrifically painful, doesn't it? It is, and although right now it's only been found in the aforementioned countries and has come to an end, it could arise again, and even be spread to other parts of the globe. One of the most important things I learned by reading DEADLY INVADERS is how easily a virus, whether one that is air-born or one that can only be contracted through direct contact of bodily fluids, can be spread. With the ease of travel from one country to another, and with short incubation periods for viruses with little or no obvious symptoms in the beginning, it is not unlikely that an epidemic of some sort will one day spread across the Earth. Besides Marburg Fever, there are six other diseases profiled in DEADLY INVADERS: Avian (Bird) Flu, HIV and AIDS, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, West Nile Disease, SARS, and Monkeypox. Each virus has specific symptoms, and none have cures. It is up to medical professionals across the world to work together to find vaccines for these diseases, so that we're prepared in the face of eventual outbreaks. This is definitely an informative book. If you've ever wondered about the likelihood of outbreaks of Bird Flu or West Nile Disease in the United States, or if diseases that thrive in third-world countries will ever be a threat to those in the developed world, you need to read DEADLY INVADERS. The threat is there, and it's up to all of us to get ready. Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"