The Hot Zone by Richard Preston: Science vs. Sensationalism

Introduction

The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston, improves mainstream audiences' understanding of emerging infectious disease, and yet undermines the positive impact of this exposure by introducing known inaccuracies and exaggerations. Preston's book is largely well-written, entertaining, and accessible. While much of the book is well-researched and scientifically accurate, inaccuracies include Preston's claim that a single mutation may cause Ebola to evolve into a much more infectious airborne agent, sensationalism about the importance of the Ebola virus, ethical judgments about the emergence of rainforest viruses, and a misleading representation of viruses as predators. Despite these inaccuracies, The Hot Zone is important to public science education as a way to introduce readers to concepts within the field of emerging diseases. From this point, scientists can use The Hot Zone as a springboard for introducing other concepts within the field. Ultimately, while inaccuracies and sensationalism damage the public's understanding of emerging diseases, The Hot Zone provides mainstream audiences with an effective introduction to modern emerging infectious disease.

Preston's often-disturbing The Hot Zone tells the story of the heroic struggles of a diverse group of scientists and military personnel who work to contain the spread of a new form of Ebola virus that has emerged in a monkey facility in the United States. The book describes the origin of the outbreak, then goes back to explain — in often horrifying and graphic detail — the history of the Ebola virus itself, as well as the differences between virus subtypes, including Ebola Marburg, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Reston. At times, Preston's descriptions are sensationalistic: bloody accounts of infected people whose insides have turned to mush, and disturbing speculation about how a virus like Ebola could presumably mutate into a dangerous airborne form capable of traveling anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Preston's scope extends beyond the human and scientific particulars of Ebola; he attempts to understand the origins of such lethal viruses. Ultimately, Preston concludes that these viruses seem to be emerging from the depths of untouched rainforest in a kind of unthinking retaliation against humanity's infiltration of the wilderness — their emergence a form of retribution for mankind's thoughtless destruction of the environment.

The Hot Zone presents the topic of emerging infectious disease in an entertaining fashion, exposing the reader to many principles of epidemiology. Preston's fast-paced and engaging narrative may have attracted readers who would otherwise never pick up a book about emerging diseases. The story begins as a deadly and infectious virus emerges from Africa and appears in suburban Washington. Preston's narrative emphasizes the swiftness of the spread as he describes how a military SWAT team and scientists work to stop the outbreak. Often, his descriptions are almost lyrical, capturing both the excitement of events and the human cost they entail. In describing the emergence of the first case of the disease in Africa, he writes:

"The doctors remember the clinical signs, because no one who has seen the effects of a Biosafety Level 4 hot agent on a human being can forget them, but the effects pile up, one after another, until they obliterate the person beneath them. The case of Charles Monet emerges in a cold geometry of clinical fact mixed with flashes of horror so brilliant and disturbing that we draw back and blink, as if we are staring into a discolored alien sun" (6).

Narrative Accessibility and Public Engagement

Above all, Preston's prose style is accessible and never intimidating, likely attracting many readers who would normally avoid scientific topics. The book is presented simply as an interesting tale rather than an expert source of information on epidemiology. The novel's opening quickly establishes that it will be an easy read: "Charles Monet was a loner. He was a Frenchman who lived by himself in a little wooden bungalow on the private lands of the Nzoia Sugar Factory, a plantation in western Kenya that spread along the Nzoia River within sight of Mount Elgon, a huge, solitary, extinct volcano that rises to a height of fourteen thousand feet near the edge of the Rift Valley" (1).

Preston also presents scientific information in a way that is easy for almost any reader to grasp. His description of the HIV virus is typical of this simple style: "HIV is a highly lethal but not very infective Biosafety Level 2 agent. It does not travel easily from person to person, and it does not travel through the air. You don't need to wear a biohazard space suit while handling blood infected with HIV" (4–5).

Preston's simple presentation of scientific information, coupled with his accessible prose style, is important in exposing the reader to emerging infectious diseases. Overall, "Preston tells his story in compelling prose" (Shell), making the book entertaining and interesting to read.

The Hot Zone is accurate in many aspects of its descriptions of emerging infectious disease, thus improving the layperson's understanding of the topic. The cover touts the book as a "terrifying true story," and the book is clearly exhaustively researched (Eckardt). The book may also be useful in introducing scientific topics such as RNA and DNA to students (Matthews).

Despite the many ways that Preston's novel helps improve understanding of emerging infectious disease, critics have noted that The Hot Zone is often inaccurate. These substantiated claims of inaccuracy are largely detrimental to the book's credibility and may also foster a false understanding of emerging infectious diseases.

Scientific Accuracy in The Hot Zone

Preston portrays viruses as vicious, brutal, shark-like predators that are utterly selfish, reinforcing a perception that the book is often sensationalistic (Maloney). In a refutation of Preston's depiction of viruses, a review by Trachtman notes: "Current research suggests that viruses may be more like wandering messengers than alien predators, their visitations serving to exchange genetic information among individuals and species in an ecology more intricate and a biochemical balance more delicate than we have yet realized."

One of the most important scientific criticisms of the book is its sensationalism of facts. Amy Jost notes that Preston's "elaborate dramatization of the Ebola virus is perhaps somewhat overstated considering its actual impact thus far on the human race," pointing out that the virus had killed only 800 people since it was first officially identified in 1976. In contrast, rabies killed 627,000 people in the same period (Jost).

Conclusion

Richard Preston's novel The Hot Zone provides mainstream audiences with an effective introduction to modern emerging infectious disease, but the novel's sometimes serious inaccuracies and exaggerations damage a more complete public understanding of the topic. The popular media's powerful role in scientific education can hardly be overlooked. For example, the FBI and President Clinton have reportedly sought Preston's opinions about emerging diseases and biological warfare (AnnOnline). As such, Preston's book is ultimately a positive influence that helps improve the mainstream audience's understanding of emerging infectious disease, but this positive influence is undermined by the book's often sensationalistic approach and its factual inaccuracies.