The Hot Zone

The Hot Zone tells the dramatic story of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses from the central African rain forest, including Ebola and Marburg viruses.

The book is structured around several key events: the discovery of Marburg virus in the 1960s, the 1976 outbreak of Ebola Zaire in Sudan and Zaire, the 1989 outbreak of Reston virus in Northern Virginia, and the author's visit to a sub-Saharan cave suspected to be the natural host of Ebola.

Preston's account is a hair-raising narrative that highlights the dangers and mysteries of these highly infectious and deadly viruses.