Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Susan Fisher-Hoch (Author), Leslie Alan Horvitz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The hemorrhagic viral diseases, such as Ebola, are among the most elusive and gruesome diseases known to man. Joseph B. McCormick and Susan Fisher-Hoch, a husband-and-wife team formerly of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, have spent their lives tracking these pathogens, traversing the globe in heroic efforts to confine them and prevent epidemic. In Level 4, McCormick and Fisher-Hoch recount their most gripping and rewarding experiences, and give insight into the stubborn bravery and driving curiosity that compels them to continually put their own lives at risk for the welfare of humanity.

From Library Journal

Fans of Richard Preston's The Hot Zone (LJ 8/94) and Laurie Garrett's The Coming Plague (LJ 9/15/94) should be eager to read these reminiscences by two researchers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). McCormick (who is mentioned extensively in both books) and Fisher-Hoch worked together for many years investigating such exotic diseases as Lassa Fever and Ebola in Third World countries as well as at the CDC. They married in 1992 and now train epidemiologists in Karachi, Pakistan. Unfortuntately, the book's tone is uneven. The aim seems to be to provide interesting stories rather than either a coherent history of a disease or a detailed biography of the physicians. Garrett's book offers more information on the history and threat of emerging diseases, while Preston's is better written. Nevertheless, this is fascinating reading, making clear the authors' dedication and almost obsessive determination to find the source, nature, and possible cures for these frightening diseases. For all collections.
-?Marit MacArthur, Auraria Lib., Denver
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 379 pages
• Publisher: Turner Pub; 1st edition (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570362777
• ISBN-13: 978-1570362774
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #417,471 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable, August 5, 2000

By	taking a rest - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Biologic agents, viruses, and the weapons they can be used with, have become common themes for movies and books. The Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta Georgia has also become a frequently mentioned locale as the HIV Virus grew in scope, and with it the public's concern. The accounts of some of these Viruses seemed almost like science fiction, as the descriptions I read often seemed on the edge of hyperbole. This volume by two "virus hunters" is eminently readable by the layperson as it explains the basics about, what a virus is, how they spread, and how horrible the consequences of infection can be.

Dr. Joseph B. McCormick and Dr Susan Fisher-Hoch are as amazing as people as the diseases they pursue. These doctors when in the field often perform tests that would normally only be performed in a Level 4 Laboratory. This is a facility that is isolated, at times in a separate building, includes airlocks, and the researchers wear the pressurized suits movies have portrayed. Level 4 is as high as it goes, or perhaps better stated, Level 4 is where the most lethal, dangerous, and exotic agents are to be worked with. These Doctors however will work with these same agents in a tent or in the open, in the most primitive conditions where the tiniest of errors could mean their death.

As a reference point I went to the Centers For Disease Control website to see where HIV is placed on the 1-4 scale. HIV except for certain circumstances is handled in a Level 2 environment. This put into perspective for me just how incredibly violent and lethal are the agents these people deal with.

The book gives a great deal of background on HIV from the earliest days it was identified. Hemorrhagic fever viruses are discussed in detail, as well as specific discussions of Ebola, Lassa fever, and others.

The entire book is fascinating and at times surprising. These Level 4 killers are not new, their emergence is primarily the result of humans venturing where they have never been, or interacting with the environment in a novel manner. The book eloquently explains that these viruses are not lurking waiting to pounce on the first person that passes by, rather they exist in a biological balance with their natural host, until disturbed.

You will read about accidents when these toxins are handled, why these diseases that are so virulent, so deadly, don't race around the globe. This is an extremely engrossing read, as everyday "man" is pushing the limits of what is manipulated, what structures we may be able to modify, but cannot with certainty handle. And there is always the fear of creating an event over which control is lost with catastrophic events.

Better than any novel this book is true. Those who often were the first to identify and deal with the disease tell the stories, and finally they are scientists, so what you read are facts, not the embellishments of a novelist. These viruses need not modified for fictional movies and books the reality is horrible enough.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., December 14, 2003

By	Paula M. Checchi "pmc716" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Joe McCormick and his wife's real-life account of their scary brushes with death and the cold, harsh reality of the heathcare nightmares in the small villages of Africa is a truly wonderful read. Their skills as both physicians and skilled epidemiologists are very impressive, as well as the way they convey their experiances out in the field. Having been a major fan of Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone" when I began reading about the real-life virus hunters, I have much more of an appreciation for the McCormicks' stories, especially as I began to notice errors in Preston's "factual account" of Ebola. Overall, Virus Hunters is a wonderful read that I highly recommend.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and interesting, December 14, 1999

By	[e-mail] (SUNY Oswego, Oswego New York, USA) - See all my reviews

As a (hopeful) future epidemiologist, I found that this book was very interesting, in that it wasn't purely technical, but relayed the points across about how the virus hunters work. The imagery that the authors use in describing the conditions of the patients, their habitats, and what they had to work with (or without) amazes me - how they were able to work without getting infected is unbelievable. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about epidemiology, virology, or even social conditions in Africa.