Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC

The reader becomes a member of the lab team. All the conflicting emotions, compassion vs. self-preservation and the sense of urgency are expressed throughout the book. As you read, hope and perseverance becomes the strength that binds the individuals together. The knowledge of the mission of a biotech's life is unveiled. The blessings of good health vs. the viral destroyers of mankind is brought from the shadows into the open

Joe McCormick and his wife's real-life account of their scary brushes with death and the cold, harsh reality of the heathcare nightmares in the small villages of Africa is a truly wonderful read. Their skills as both physicians and skilled epidemiologists are very impressive, as well as the way they convey their experiances out in the field. Having been a major fan of Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone" when I began reading about the real-life virus hunters, I have much more of an appreciation for the McCormicks' stories, especially as I began to notice errors in Preston's "factual account" of Ebola. Overall, Virus Hunters is a wonderful read that I highly recommend.

Biologic agents, viruses, and the weapons they can be used with, have become common themes for movies and books. The Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta Georgia has also become a frequently mentioned locale as the HIV Virus grew in scope, and with it the public's concern. The accounts of some of these Viruses seemed almost like science fiction, as the descriptions I read often seemed on the edge of hyperbole. This volume by two "virus hunters" is eminently readable by the layperson as it explains the basics about, what a virus is, how they spread, and how horrible the consequences of infection can be.Dr. Joseph B. McCormick and Dr Susan Fisher-Hoch are as amazing as people as the diseases they pursue. These doctors when in the field often perform tests that would normally only be performed in a Level 4 Laboratory. This is a facility that is isolated, at times in a separate building, includes airlocks, and the researchers wear the pressurized suits movies have portrayed. Level 4 is as high as it goes, or perhaps better stated, Level 4 is where the most lethal, dangerous, and exotic agents are to be worked with. These Doctors however will work with these same agents in a tent or in the open, in the most primitive conditions where the tiniest of errors could mean their death.As a reference point I went to the Centers For Disease Control website to see where HIV is placed on the 1-4 scale. HIV except for certain circumstances is handled in a Level 2 environment. This put into perspective for me just how incredibly violent and lethal are the agents these people deal with. The book gives a great deal of background on HIV from the earliest days it was identified. Hemorrhagic fever viruses are discussed in detail, as well as specific discussions of Ebola, Lassa fever, and others.The entire book is fascinating and at times surprising. These Level 4 killers are not new, their emergence is primarily the result of humans venturing where they have never been, or interacting with the environment in a novel manner. The book eloquently explains that these viruses are not lurking waiting to pounce on the first person that passes by, rather they exist in a biological balance with their natural host, until disturbed.You will read about accidents when these toxins are handled, why these diseases that are so virulent, so deadly, don't race around the globe. This is an extremely engrossing read, as everyday "man" is pushing the limits of what is manipulated, what structures we may be able to modify, but cannot with certainty handle. And there is always the fear of creating an event over which control is lost with catastrophic events.Better than any novel this book is true. Those who often were the first to identify and deal with the disease tell the stories, and finally they are scientists, so what you read are facts, not the embellishments of a novelist. These viruses need not modified for fictional movies and books the reali