Several years later, the author visits with Dr. David Silverstein, who has gained a huge reputation in Nairobi. Silverstein relates a 2 a.m. phone call that informed him that Dr. Musoke's blood tested positive for Marburg, a virus about which little is known. It was named after a town in Germany where, in 1967, citizens contracted the virus from monkeys transported from Uganda to a local laboratory. Many of the monkeys had been brought in by a trader who was more interested in money than the health of the animals.
The virus is different from most because rather than being ball-shaped, it is a filovirus, or has tendrils like hair or worms that tangle together. They can also roll up into loops, a very unique trait. The other well-known filovirus is.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 379 words. This
study guide contains 15,604 words (approx. 52 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our The Hot Zone Access Pass.
