THE HOT ZONE TRACES THE TRUE EVENTS SURROUNDING AN OUTBREAK OF THE EBOLA VIRUS AT A MONKEY FACILITY IN RESTON, VIRGINIA IN THE LATE 1980S. IN ORDER TO CONTEXTUALIZE THE DANGER POSED BY THIS OUTBREAK, PRESTON PROVIDES BACKGROUND ABOUT SEVERAL OTHER VIRAL OUTBREAKS, PARTICULARLY IN AFRICA IN THE 1970S AND 1980S. THE RESULT IS A FAST-PACED SCIENTIFIC THRILLER THAT, WHILE LACKING THE TRADITIONAL NARRATIVE OF A FICTIONAL WORK, IS ALL THE MORE TERRIFYING BECAUSE IT DESCRIBES FACTUAL EVENTS. WHILE PRESTON DOES NOT OVERSTATE THE DANGER OF EBOLA AND OTHER FILOVIRUSES, HE ARGUES THAT THE GREATER THREAT LIES IN EMERGING VIRUSES LIKE THE AIDS VIRUS, WHOSE EFFECT ON THE HUMAN RACE CANNOT YET BE MEASURED.... , . . , . . , ?.... Â , .... ...
