dajna's review against another edition
3.0
I read and loved [b:Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic|17573681|Spillover Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic|David Quammen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1364847295s/17573681.jpg|19249362], and I was looking forward to this update. The short book retell the history of Marburg and Ebola virus and presents all the known cases of people getting sick. We learn that the idea of bats as a virus reservoir is getting some feedback, although we cannot claim yet that they are the host of the virus. We read how the world came together to study and fight the disease, and we also read how it starting migrating with us, on planes, potentially reaching every part of the world.
The topic is complex and yet Quammen is never pedantic or boring. You want to keep reading and learn more even if, like me, you have no knowledge in the virology field.
The topic is complex and yet Quammen is never pedantic or boring. You want to keep reading and learn more even if, like me, you have no knowledge in the virology field.
thetrickyfox's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I'm almost certainly a little bias as David Quammen's writing is largely what inspired my professional career. This is a short but snappy piece, and an excellent example of brilliant investigative science writing.
12140holmes's review against another edition
4.0
Very good in that it explains many things regarding ebola.
lauren_endnotes's review against another edition
4.0
Two years ago this month was the worst outbreak of Ebola in known human history. What made the 2014 outbreak so different? Ebola has been documented since 1976 (and undoubtedly there were decades of cases before, left unrecorded), specifically affecting small villages throughout central Africa. This time, Ebola made its way into urban centers, bringing the exposure and casualties much higher.
This book, excerpted from Quammen's larger work Spillover, and updated to include info about the 2014 outbreak, gives a 'boots on the ground' version of the scientists who are working to fight and prevent another outbreak. The search for the reservoir species is of particular importance: where is Ebola living while not spreading into other species / lying dormant? Countless animals have been tested, and while the silver bullet of a 'live virus inside a species' has not been discovered yet, Quammen and many researchers believe Ebola lives in certain species of bats (edited to add: researched this more and WHO's website says that it has not been truly discovered yet, but bats are suspected) who then feed on fruit, infecting it with saliva and guano, in turn infecting primates who also eat these fruits and/or bats, and come into contact with droppings (or humans who eat bush meat of monkeys who ate the fruit...) The link to bats is further bolstered by the discovery that a similar filovirus, Marburg virus, lives inside this specific species of bat in Central Africa.
Quammen's analysis and storytelling are top notch - fascinating and high caliber science writing.
4.5 stars
This book, excerpted from Quammen's larger work Spillover, and updated to include info about the 2014 outbreak, gives a 'boots on the ground' version of the scientists who are working to fight and prevent another outbreak. The search for the reservoir species is of particular importance: where is Ebola living while not spreading into other species / lying dormant? Countless animals have been tested, and while the silver bullet of a 'live virus inside a species' has not been discovered yet, Quammen and many researchers believe Ebola lives in certain species of bats (edited to add: researched this more and WHO's website says that it has not been truly discovered yet, but bats are suspected) who then feed on fruit, infecting it with saliva and guano, in turn infecting primates who also eat these fruits and/or bats, and come into contact with droppings (or humans who eat bush meat of monkeys who ate the fruit...) The link to bats is further bolstered by the discovery that a similar filovirus, Marburg virus, lives inside this specific species of bat in Central Africa.
Quammen's analysis and storytelling are top notch - fascinating and high caliber science writing.
4.5 stars
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
4.0
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I like microbiology, as in I like to learn about it (not I like the diseases). For me it's one of the most interesting fields of biomedical sciences. So I've chosen all extra microbiology courses, like Virology and Advanced Microbiology, but did I learn about Ebola?
During my first course Microbiology, back in 2013, about two sentences were spent on the subject of Ebola. It's a virus like Marburg in Africa. And, if you get it, it sucks, because you'll die of it. (This was a lesson where at least 20 viruses were discussed, so real depth was impossible, though Ebola was discussed only very briefly). Because during that time, Ebola was still something far away. I doubt many people knew what it was.
I was wondering how this book would tackle Ebola, as I was afraid that any information given would be outdated as soon as it could be printed, but the problem is solved quite well: It's not about the recent outbreaks. Instead it gives an overview of earlier outbreaks in Africa and outbreaks of similar diseases like Marburg to help understand the nature of the disease. It focuses on the importance of identifying the animal reservoir of the virus (viruses that are very deadly need to be able to replicate/survive in an animal species without killing that species or the virus would go extinct). Like with birdflu (where we know it's certain birds).
Ebola is an extract of Quammen's bigger book Spillover, completely focussed on zoonosis (catching a disease from an animal). I haven't read that book, but reading this part on Ebola made me want to read Spillover as well. What I really liked was the balance in this book. What I find in most (biomedical) non-fiction, is that it is to easy for people who know already about the subject, and not easy enough for people who are new to it. This book was different. It was still very interesting for me, but things where explained very understandably, I believe, for people who only have a very basic knowledge about microbiology. I would recommend.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I like microbiology, as in I like to learn about it (not I like the diseases). For me it's one of the most interesting fields of biomedical sciences. So I've chosen all extra microbiology courses, like Virology and Advanced Microbiology, but did I learn about Ebola?
During my first course Microbiology, back in 2013, about two sentences were spent on the subject of Ebola. It's a virus like Marburg in Africa. And, if you get it, it sucks, because you'll die of it. (This was a lesson where at least 20 viruses were discussed, so real depth was impossible, though Ebola was discussed only very briefly). Because during that time, Ebola was still something far away. I doubt many people knew what it was.
I was wondering how this book would tackle Ebola, as I was afraid that any information given would be outdated as soon as it could be printed, but the problem is solved quite well: It's not about the recent outbreaks. Instead it gives an overview of earlier outbreaks in Africa and outbreaks of similar diseases like Marburg to help understand the nature of the disease. It focuses on the importance of identifying the animal reservoir of the virus (viruses that are very deadly need to be able to replicate/survive in an animal species without killing that species or the virus would go extinct). Like with birdflu (where we know it's certain birds).
Ebola is an extract of Quammen's bigger book Spillover, completely focussed on zoonosis (catching a disease from an animal). I haven't read that book, but reading this part on Ebola made me want to read Spillover as well. What I really liked was the balance in this book. What I find in most (biomedical) non-fiction, is that it is to easy for people who know already about the subject, and not easy enough for people who are new to it. This book was different. It was still very interesting for me, but things where explained very understandably, I believe, for people who only have a very basic knowledge about microbiology. I would recommend.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!