Ebola's Curse

Ebola's Curse: 2013-2016 Outbreak in West Africa is about hemorrhagic fever viruses, especially Ebola, its initial origin in central Africa 1976, its unprecedented appearance in West Africa in 2013. The book records in sequence and detective style how the initial outbreak of Ebola from the index case in rural Guinea traveled to Sierra Leone, the work and fate of those working in the Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) isolation ward in Sierra Leone. The book provides vignettes of the three main players involved with Ebola at KGH, Sheik Khan, Pardis Sabeti, and Robert Garry. Khan was the head of the unit, declared a national hero by his Sierra Leone government. He died fighting Ebola and was/is recognized in the USA by American societies by awards created for his historic work and death. Pardis Sabeti, a geneticist from Harvard and Broad MIT Institute, who was honored as a 'Scientist of the Year' by Time Magazine and the Smithsonian Institute. Robert Garry, head of the operation to fight hemorrhagic fevers and Ebola, shuttled between Tulane University, KGH, and The White House to make aware through the press and others the dilemma and tragedy that was unfolding, and the need to obtain additional medical and health care support and supplies. Sabeti and Garry currently work with Oldstone on Ebola at KGH and thus personal communication and knowledge was/is available to the author for the book. - Includes perspectives from the 2013-2016 outbreak in West Africa - Provides a detailed overview of the origins of Ebola virus through present day discoveries - Written with an integrative approach, incorporating scientific research with insights from the field on Public Health and Medical History

Michael B.A. Oldstone, is world known for his contributions studying viruses and how they cause disease (election to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine and other National and International bodies, as well as recipient of multiple awards by international and national societies). He has lectured at multiple universities on the topic of Ebola and on hemorrhagic African fevers. He has authored several books. His last one, 'Viruses, Plagues, & History' had favorable reviews in the lay press (NY Times Book Review, Nation, multiple newspapers and magazines in the US and in Europe, NPR interviews and profiles, etc.) and favorable reviews by the highest scientific journals (Science, Nature, etc.). The book was translated into five additional languages, elicited book signings, invited talks at museums and book stores, and sold over 45,000 copies. Further, the book was used and still is for teaching in several undergraduate colleges, graduate, and medical schools. Thus, name recognition of the author and the product delivered reflected both high standards and wide recognition.