The Third Pandemic

Bubonic plague of the Medieval Period was the first pandemic, the Spanish Influenza of the early 21st century was the second pandemic, a merger of Chlamydia and strep creates "The Third Pandemic by Pierre Ouellette, a book first published twelve years ago. Because this new disease has the power to kill half the world's population, it is given the placement of major character in the novel. The writer first describes it in terms of soldiers quiet after a defeat (the antibiotic tetracycline, part of a drug cocktail that kills most infections). When it merges with strep chromosomes, Chlamydia becomes a new entity, one resistant to all antibiotics. This merger takes place when the male human carrier has sex with a woman carrying strep/chlamydia. These viruses also mate to create an unstoppable infection ready to charge as an army and wreak havoc on the world. Details of epidemiology, computer simulation of a spreading disease, the formula for a vacination against this disease, a health official carrying a split with reality inside his head, an amoral career criminal who rides the wave of lawlessness to create a new identity as superpower leader in the void of effective leadership during the pandemic, a police detective with an abiding moral consciousness, a female doctor whose own moral dictates recognize morality in others--all parts combine to become a unified whole in presenting a what-if apocalyptic world sure to come. In a world of flesh-eating infections, Mad Cow disease, and SARS, a new concomitant is not surprising. There is a vaccine formula, but not a vaccine. The fact that corruption abounds in mid-level positions, as well as highest levels, the attempt to keep secret the formula for a vaccine, to hold off until monetary gain is bulging with greed, will prevent the making of this life-saving drug. No matter, the disease appears and decimates the population even as these greed-hogs maneuver for their own monetary promotion. Even as this happens, the criminal element is swifter and assumes power to terrorize and manipulate. The two righteous characters, Detective Paris and Dr. Elaine Wilkes, come together through odd circumstance and in the line of duty, to do what is available to them to fight this pandemic. It takes its toll and wears itself out, as with all diseases. The ending is interesting, but it is the story of people, the journey of courage, the path of the disease that are the essence of the novel. What can be done, who does it, who are the heroes scattered throughout the story? All these questions determine the outcome and success of an apocalyptic novel. Frankly, I wouldn't close the book at night. I kept reading and reading and....

I found this book in a bargain bin at my local public library. It did not deserve to be there. A great medical thriller with many, many twists and definitely not ordinary. Not ordinary because all the characters are superbly developed and portrayed. Realistic dialogue that is unique to each character. Great backstories that make sense and are pulling at your heartstrings. Not ordinary because this pandemic is not caused by an evil villain, although evil villains try to take advantage of it. Nor ordinary because there is no miracle cure uncovered just in time to save the population in a dramatic fashion, although tragically and ironically there could have been. Not ordinary because we get scenes from the viewpoint of a parrot, a fly and even a microbe! Not ordinary because the technology in the book is right on target and realistic as hell. (Watch to see how many of today's technologies the author predicted in this book have already come along). Terrific book. Great scope. Impressive character development. No stereotypes. The author had many opportunities to let this book disintegrate into the banal or the absurd, but he never chose the easy way out. And it shows.

The propagation of an unabated global plague that threatens the extinction of mankind, is the central theme of Pierre Ouellette's outstanding novel "The Third Pandemic". The mutation of the organism causing psittacosis, an avian borne pneumonia type disease threatens the demise of the world in a manner similar to that of Black Death in the Middle Ages. The decimation of the disease is experienced through the eyes of four well developed characters, two heroes and two villains. Seattle police lieutenant Phil Paris is obsessed with discovering the identity of a mysterious person that he is convinced "poisoned" his wife. While eating at a local restaurant, he observed a strange person exiting from the kitchen. Within a short time his diabetic wife Ginny succumbed to a severe case of Salmonella poisoning which left her in a vegetative coma. The mysterious person known as Vincent, is a schizophrenic maniac who on numerous instances over the course of years has introduced pathogens into food in other establishments for unknown reasons. Meanwhile epidemiologist and researcher Dr. Elaine Wilkes of the Webster Foundation, a subsidiary of Uni Corporation, has devised a computer model for the developement of a worldwide plague for which there is no known cure. It is postulated that this bug has a 72 percent probability of appearing within a ten year period. Her model could help Uni formulate an antibiotic cure or vaccine which could potentially net billions. Unfortunately, due to a series of fantastic circumstances, this lethal plaque actually does break out in Sao Tome, an island 150 miles off the coast of central Africa. Owing to a long incubation period and the unknown nature of the disease, it is spread by both travelers and inhabitants leaving the island. Soon a pandemic threatening to wipe out 60 percent of the world population is unleashed. The possible cure, which lies within the information contained in Dr. Wilkes' computer disks, becomes the focus of several opportunists. One such person is a ruthless criminal genius Barney Cox, who orchestrates his release from prison by coercing a high ranking Uni official. He is angling toward securing the precious computer disks. Ouellette using vast knowledge of basic microbiology crafts a very frightening but believeable scenario that is within the realm of possibility. I was very impressed with several passages that detailed mechanisms of bacterial mutation and infection at the cellular level.

This book was much better then The Blood Artists. There were no slow parts and the way he describes the bacteria is amazing. I am a nurse and I learned something about bacteria.

Working in the medical field and noting, from the preface, that the author had no medical background I was leery about the premise of the book. I was glad to be thoroughly proven wrong in what turned out to be a very 'drag you in and hold you till the end' book. I also found "The Third Pandemic" to be very well researched, factual and detailed (downright scary and unsettling at times). This book kept me on the edge right from the unique opener till the unexpected end (which arrived to soon for me). What can only be seen as a credit to the authors proficiency in writing, is the fact that he was able to pen such an engrossing book without resorting to blatent sexual liasons or over graphic descriptions of killings. I now eagerly look forward to reading Pierre Oullette's first book, "The Deus Machine", and any future titles he authors.Other authors I enjoy: Eric V. Lustbader