Everyone is always fearful when they hear about an infectious virus outbreak. For example, the Bubonic Plague and Ebola, created a frantic scare all around the world. The author, Richard Preston, depicts and describes the many different filovirus outbreaks that were exposed, taking over the human race throughout the entire book. The novel illustrates how the virus outbreaks had its outbursts, rapidly demolishing and destroying the human population gradually as there is no known cure and control over the destruction. Richard Preston discusses in The Hot Zone, the different factors that contribute to those outbreaks, such as hygiene and the lack of knowledge about the virus. Even a slight lack of hygiene can possibly contribute to the vital outbreaks in numerous ways.
One of the major factors that contribute to numerous virus outbreaks is the insufficient amount of hygiene. Due to the lack of hygiene, the instability of the virus has been constantly spreading and has progressed to the point of being uncontrollable. The author, Richard Preston, writes, “Apparently the medical staff had been giving patients injections with dirty needles” (Preston 98), which is an example in relation to the lack of sanitation. This illustrates how the medical staff …show more content…
In this case, Ebola and other filoviruses are exposed by blood to blood contact and by reusing the contaminated needles, it increases the possibility of getting infected. In the article, “What Factors Might Have Led to the Emergence of Ebola in West Africa?”, PLOS states, “...in association with unsterilized needle that were reused ...fatality rates also differed by exposure route, with 100% mortality among those exposed through injection (85 out of 85) and 80% among cases with known contact (119 of 149).” In emphasis, just one slight mistake and lack of sanitation can cause the virus to easily spread, making the