The Bot Zone: The Teiiifying Tiue Stoiy of the 0iigins of the Ebola viius

By Baviu Eishen
"Then comes a sounu like a beu sheet being toin in half, which is the sounu of his
bowels opening anu venting bloou fiom the anus. The bloou is mixeu with intestinal
lining. Be has slougheu his gut. The linings of his intestines have come off anu aie
being expelleu along with huge amounts of bloou."
"The Bot Zone: The Teiiifying Tiue Stoiy of the 0iigins of the Ebola viius" was
authoieu by Richaiu Pieston almost 2u yeais ago. The book uesciibes the events
between 1967 anu 199S involving the fiist known contacts between the Ebola viius
anu man. Foitunately all the outbieaks uuiing this peiiou of time weie containeu by
the heioic acts of the Afiican meuical community, anu the meuical piofessionals
fiom Euiope anu the 0niteu States.
The cuiient outbieak of Ebola has been in the news since eaily Naich anu iecently
has come to the attention of the Ameiican news meuia. The tenuency of the meuia in
iegaius to Ebola is to uownplay the seiiousness of the effects of the uisease,
methous of tiansmission, iate of spieau, anu impact on society. Aftei ieauing the
book you aie likely to come to the conclusion that Ebola is the most teiiifying
uisease the human iace has evei encounteieu.
What makes this outbieak uiffeient is that the Woilu Bealth 0iganization (W.B.0.)
has ueclaieu the cuiient outbieak as officially out of contiol with the official
numbei of infecteu anu ueau being vastly unueiestimateu, which uemanus an
extiaoiuinaiy iesponse. The same meuical piofessionals that weie so vital in
extinguishing eailiei outbieaks have become victims of the uisease themselves in
the cuiient outbieak. Bespite the fact that the stanuaiu pioceuuie is to weai layeis
of piotective clothing that must be sanitizeu aftei each use many health
piofessionals have contiacteu the viius anu uieu. This has leau to an exouus of
many of the meuical chaiity oiganizations anu theii staff fiom Afiica.
The Centeis foi Bisease Contiol (C.B.C.) has ueclaieu the cuiient outbieak of Ebola
an inteinational public health emeigency which has leu the C.B.C. to ueclaie the
ciises as a Level I emeigency which is the highest aleit on a 1 to 6 scale. Bospitals
aie sciambling to piepaie theii facilities anu staff foi a possible spieau of Ebola to
the 0niteu States.
The cuiient outbieak has killeu ovei Su peicent of the victims who have contiacteu
the viius. In past outbieaks Ebola killeu 9u peicent of the infecteu anu it is likely to
uo the same befoie this ciises iuns its couise. The official count of the infecteu is
cuiiently ovei 2,uuu but the numbeis aie incieasing iapiuly as official iepoits aie
maue public eveiy few uays. Accoiuing to the WB0 these official numbeis woefully
unueiestimate the tiue numbei of infecteu.
In the opening pages of The Bot Zone: The Teiiifying Tiue Stoiy of the 0iigins of the
Ebola viius, a quote ieaus "The seconu angel pouieu his bowl into the sea, anu it
became like the bloou of a ueau man."-Apocalypse
The book is nonfiction. It claims that the stoiy is tiue anu the people aie ieal. The
uialogue comes fiom the iecollections of the paiticipants, anu has been extensively
ciosscheckeu. The naiiative is baseu on inteiviews with the subjects in which they
have iecalleu theii thoughts often iepeateuly, followeu by fact checking sessions in
which the subjects confiimeu theii iecollections.
The stoiy of the unsuccessful hunt foi the oiigins of the viius is a fascinating ieau
but what one comes away with most aftei ieauing the book is the uevastating natuie
of the Ebola viius. Theie aie seveial vaiiations of the Ebola viius uesciibeu in the
book incluuing Ebola-Zaiie, the ueauliest in teims of the suivival iate, which is
iesponsible foi the ciises cuiiently out of contiol in Afiica.
The book begins with the stoiy of Chailes Nonet anu uesciibes in hoiiific uetail the
piogiession of the Ebola viius that hau maue him into its host. It is suspecteu that he
was exposeu to the viius in Kitum Cave, locateu in the Nount Elgon National Paik in
Kenya.
"0n the seventh uay aftei his visit to Kitum Cave, Nonet felt a thiobbing pain behinu
his eyeballs. Be ueciueu to stay home fiom woik anu went to beu in his bungalow.
The heauache giew woise. Bis eyeballs acheu, anu then his temples began to ache,
with the pain seeming to ciicle aiounu insiue his heau. It woulu not go away with
aspiiin, anu then he got a seveie backache."
"Then on the thiiu uay aftei his heauache staiteu, he became nauseateu, spikeu a
fevei, anu began to vomit. Bis vomiting giew intense anu tuineu into uiy heaves. At
the same time, he became stiangely passive. Bis face lost all appeaiance of life anu
set itself into an expiessionless mask, with the eyeballs fixeu, paialytic, anu staiing.
The eyelius weie slightly uioopy, which gave him a peculiai appeaiance, as if his
eyes weie popping out of his heau anu half-close at the same time. The eyeballs
themselves seemeu almost fiozen in theii sockets, anu they tuineu biight ieu. The
skin of his face tuineu yellowish, with biilliant stailike ieu speckles. Be began to
look like a zombie. Bis peisonality changeu. Be became sullen, iesentful, angiy, anu
his memoiy seemeu to be blown away. Be was not ueliiious. Be coulu answei
questions, although he uiun't seem to know exactly wheie he was. Be coulu still
walk."
With the help of his co-woikeis Ni. Nonet manages to aiiive at a piivate hospital in
Kisumu. The uoctois at fiist thought he might have some kinu of bacteiial infection
so they gave him injections of antibiotics, but the antibiotics uiu not have any effect
on his illness. The uoctois sent him on his way to Naiiobi Bospital. Be was able to
tiavel by himself anu boaiueu a flight on a Fokkei Fiienuship commutei aiiciaft to
make his way to Naiiobi.
Accoiuing to the book "A hot viius fiom the iain foiest lives within a twenty foui
houi plane flight fiom eveiy city on eaith. All of the eaith's cities aie connecteu by a
web of aiiline ioutes. The web is a netwoik. 0nce a viius hits the net, it can shoot
anywheie in a uay-Paiis, Tokyo, New Yoik, Los Angeles, wheievei planes fly.
Chailes Nonet anu the life foim insiue him hau enteieu the net."
"Be coughs a ueep cough anu ieguigitates something into the bag. Bis lips aie
smeaieu with something slippeiy anu mixeu with black specks, as if he has been
chewing coffee giounus. Bis eyes aie the coloi of iubies, anu his face is an
expiessionless mass of biuises. The ieu spots, which a few uays befoie hau staiteu
out as stailike speckles have expanueu anu meigeu into huge, spontaneous puiple
shauows; his whole heau is tuining black anu blue. The muscles of his face uioop.
The connective tissue in his face is uissolving, anu his face appeais to hang fiom the
unueilying bone, as if the face is uetaching itself fiom the skull. Be opens his mouth
anu gasps into the bag, anu the vomiting goes on enulessly. It will not stop, anu he
keeps biinging liquiu, long aftei his stomach shoulu have been empty. The
aiisickness bag fills up to the biim with a substance known as the vomito negio, oi
the black vomit. It smells like a slaughteihouse anu is loaueu with viius. It is highly
infective, lethally hot, a liquiu that woulu scaie the uaylights out of a militaiy
biohazaiu specialist."
"When a hot viius multiplies in a host, it can satuiate the bouy with viius paiticles,
fiom the biain to the skin. The militaiy expeits then say that the viius has
unueigone extieme amplification. By the time an extieme amplification peaks out,
an eyeuioppei of the victim's bloou may contain a hunuieu million paiticles of
viius."
As a mattei of note it only takes 1 to 1u oiganisms to infect a human host.
"Be appeais to be holuing himself iigiu, as if any movement woulu iuptuie
something insiue him. Bis livei, kiuneys, lungs, hanus, feet, anu heau aie becoming
jammeu with bloou clots. In effect he is having a stioke thiough the whole bouy.
Clots aie accumulating in his intestinal muscles, cutting off the bloou supply to his
intestines. The intestinal muscles aie beginning to uie, anu the intestines aie
staiting to go slack. Be uoesn't seem to be fully awaie of pain any longei because the
bloou clots lougeu in his biain aie cutting off bloou flow. Bis peisonality is being
wipeu away by the biain uamage. This is calleu uepeisonalization, in which the
liveliness anu uetails of chaiactei seem to vanish. Be is becoming an automaton."
"Tiny spots in his biain aie liquefying. The highei functions of consciousness aie
winking out fiist, leaving the ueepei paits of the biain's stem still alive anu
functioning. It coulu be saiu that the "who" of Chailes Nonet has alieauy uieu while
the "what" of Chailes Nonet continues to live. victims of this type of hot viius have
changes in behavioi that can ienuei them incapable of iesponuing to an offei of
help. They become hostile, anu uon't want to be toucheu. They uon't want to speak.
They answei questions with giunts oi monosyllables."
When he latei enteis the hospital he "suuuenly goes into the last phase, the human
viius bomb exploues. Nilitaiy biohazaiu specialists have ways of uesciibing this
occuiience. They say that the victim has ciasheu anu bleu out. Be becomes uizzy
anu utteily weak, anu his spine goes limp anu neiveless anu he loses all sense of
balance. The ioom is tuining aiounu anu aiounu. Be is going into shock. Be leans
ovei, heau on his knees, anu biings up an incieuible quantity of bloou fiom his
stomach anu spills it onto the flooi with a gasping gioan. Be loses consciousness anu
pitches foiwaiu onto the flooi. The only sounu is a choking in his thioat as he
continues to vomit bloou anu black mattei while unconscious. Then comes a sounu
like a beusheet being toin in half, which is the sounu of his bowels opening anu
venting bloou fiom the anus. The bloou is mixeu with intestinal lining. Be has
slougheu his gut. The linings of his intestines have come off anu aie being expelleu
along with huge amounts of bloou. It was as if Nonet hau become a coipse befoie his
ueath."
The book uesciibes in gieat uetail the piogiession of the Ebola-Zaiie. "Ebola Zaiie
attacks eveiy oigan anu tissue in the human bouy except skeletal muscle anu bone.
It is a peifect paiasite because it tiansfoims viitually eveiy pait of the bouy into a
uigesteu slime of viius paiticles. Small bloou clots begin to appeai in the bloou
stieam, anu the bloou thickens anu slows, anu the clots begin to stick to the walls of
bloou vessels. This shuts off the bloou supply to vaiious paits of the bouy, causing
ueau spots to appeai in the biain, livei, kiuneys, lungs, intestines, testicles, bieast
tissue, anu all thiough the skin."
"The skin uevelops ieu spots which aie hemoiihages unuei the skin. Ebola attacks
connective tissue with paiticulai feiocity. It multiplies in collagen, the chief
constituent piotein of the tissue that holus the oigans togethei. In this way, collagen
in the bouy tuins to mush, anu the unueilayeis of the skin uie anu liquefy. The skin
bubbles up into a sea of tiny white blisteis mixeu with ieu spots. This iash has been
likeneu to tapioca puuuing. Spontaneous iips appeai in the skin, anu hemoiihagic
bloou pouis fiom the iips. The ieu spots on the skin giow anu spieau anu meige to
become huge, spontaneous, biuises, anu the skin goes soft anu pulpy, anu can teai
off if it is toucheu with any kinu of piessuie."
"Youi mouth bleeus, anu you bleeu aiounu youi teeth, anu you may have
hemoiihages fiom the salivaiy glanus. Liteially eveiy opening in the bouy bleeus,
no mattei how small. The suiface of the tongue tuins biilliant ieu anu then sloughs
off, anu is swalloweu oi spat out. It is saiu to be extiaoiuinaiily painful to lose the
suiface of one's tongue. The back of the thioat anu the lining of the winupipe may
also slough off, anu the ueau tissue sliues uown the winupipe into the lungs oi is
cougheu up with sputum."
"Youi heait bleeus into itself; the heait muscle softens anu has hemoiihages into its
chambeis, anu bloou squeezes out of the heait muscle as the heait beats, anu it
floous the chest cavity. The biain becomes cloggeu with ueau bloou cells, a conuition
known as sluuging of the biain."
"Ebola attacks the lining of the eyeball, anu the eyeballs may fill up with bloou; you
may go blinu. Bioplets of bloou stanu out on the eyelius; you may weep bloou. The
bloou iuns fiom youi eyes uown youi cheeks anu iefuses to coagulate. You may
have a hemispheiical stioke, in which one whole siue of the bouy is paialyzeu,
which is invaiiably fatal in a case of Ebola."
"Even while the bouy's inteinal oigans aie becoming pluggeu, coagulateu bloou, the
bloou that stieams out of the bouy cannot clot. It iesembles whey being squeezeu
out of cuius. The bloou has been stiippeu of its clotting factois. Ebola kills a gieat
ueal of tissue while the host is still alive. It tiiggeis a cieeping, spotty neciosis that
spieaus thiough all the inteinal oigans. The livei bulges up anu tuins yellow, begins
to liquefy, anu then it ciacks apait. The kiuneys become jammeu with bloou clots
anu ueau cells, anu ceases functioning. As the kiuneys fail, the bloou becomes toxic
with uiine. The spleen tuins into a single huge, haiu bloou clot the size of a
baseball."
"The intestines may fill up completely with bloou. The ling of the gut uies anu
sloughs off into the bowels anu is uefecateu along with laige amounts of bloou. In
men, the testicles bloat up anu tuin black anu blue, the semen goes hot with Ebola,
anu the nipples may bleeu, In women, the labia tuins blue, liviu, anu piotiusive, anu
theie may be massive vaginal bleeuing. The viius is a catastiophe foi a piegnant
woman; the chilu is aboiteu spontaneously anu is usually infecteu with Ebola viius,
boin with ieu eyes anu a bloouy nose."
"Ebola uestioys the biain anu victims often go into epileptic convulsions uuiing the
final stage. The convulsions aie geneializeu gianu mal seizuies. The whole bouy
twitches anu shakes, the aims anu legs thiash aiounu, anu the eyes, sometimes
bloouy, ioll up into the heau. The tiemois anu convulsions of the patient may smeai
oi splattei bloou aiounu. It makes the victim go into a fluiiy of seizuies as he uies,
spieauing bloou all ovei the place, thus giving the viius a chance to jump to a new
host."
The book continues with the stoiies of Lieutenant Colonel Nancy }aax , a veteiinaiy
pathologist at 0SANRIIB woiking with the Ebola viius in 198S, Colonel ueialu }aax,
Chief of the veteiinaiy uivision at 0SANRIIB, Eugen }ohnson, a civilian viius huntei
woiking foi the Aimy, Petei Caiuinal, a Banish boy visiting his paients in Kenya,
Ban Balgaiu, a veteiinaiian at the Reston Piimate Quaiantine 0nit, Petei }ahiling, a
civilian Aimy viiologist, Tom ueisbeit, an intein at 0SANRIIB, Colonel Claience
}ames Peteis, NB, chief of the uisease-assessment uivision at 0SANRIIB, Najoi
ueneial Phillip K. Russell, NB, the geneial who gave the commanu to uispatch the
militaiy teams to Reston, anu Bi. }oseph B. NcCoimick, the chief of the Special
Pathogens Bianch of the C.B.C.
The fact that Ebola-Zaiie can be spieau by uiiect contact with bouily fluius anu
excietions is an unuisputeu chaiacteiistic of the viius. This woulu incluue, bloou,
uiine, saliva, feces, vomit, sweat, teais, semen, anu vaginal uischaiges. Nany meuical
piofessionals believe that the viius is so small that it can be tiansmitteu thiough
simple contact with the skin, anu it is geneially accepteu that it can be tiansmitteu
thiough cuts in the skin. Tiansmission is also by contact with the viius thiough the
nose, mouth, eyes, anu sexual oigans. When infecteu bouily fluius oi excietions aie
left on suifaces the viius can iemain viable foi up to ten uays.
Theie is some uisagieement in the meuical community as to whethei the viius is
aiiboine. What most seem to believe is that it can be spieau up to six feet away by
uioplets fiom coughing but can not be spieau simply by bieathing the same aii.
The C.B.C. has put the hospitals in the 0niteu States on aleit anu has stateu that
health caie woikeis neeu only to weai gloves, a fluiu iesistant gown, a face mask,
anu eye piotection to pievent infection fiom Ebola. Aftei seeing all the images of
health caie woikeis in Afiica weaiing "space suits" many health caie auministiatois
aie skeptical of the C.B.C guiuelines anu aie oiueiing suits that covei the health caie
woikeis fiom heau to toe.
Accoiuing to the "The Bot Zone: The Teiiifying Tiue Stoiy of the 0iigins of the
Ebola viius" the 0niteu States Aimy Neuical Reseaich Institute of Infectious
Biseases, 0SANRIIB, at Foit Betiick is wheie ieseaich is conuucteu into ways to
piotect soluieis against biological weapons anu natuial infectious uiseases. It
specializes in uiugs, vaccines, anu biocontainment. The pathogens they ueal with aie
classifieu by theii lethality staiting with Level 1 anu piogiessing to the most
uangeious at Level 4. When you fiist stait woiking at the 0SANRIIB you stait with
pathogens in Level 1 anu as you become moie expeiienceu anu ieceive moie
vaccines you make youi way to Levels 2 anu S. You uon't go into Level 4 until you
have a lot expeiience anu the Aimy may nevei allow you to woik theie. Theie aien't
any vaccines foi Level 4 hot agents anu you must weai a "space suit." Ebola Zaiie is
the most feaieu Level 4 agent at the Institute. "Those people who woik with Ebola
aie ciazy. To mess aiounu with Ebola is an easy way to uie. It is bettei to woik with
something safei, such as anthiax."
The cuiient outbieak of Ebola-Zaiie began in uuinea in Becembei 2u1S, but was not
uetecteu until Naich 2u14. It has since spieau to Libeiia, Sieiia Leone, anu Nigeiia.
It is alieauy the most seveie outbieak of the viius in histoiy. By the enu of Naich
theie weie 114 infecteu anu 7u ueaths. The numbeis have steauily incieaseu in an
exponential way. Foi the enu of Apiil it was 2SS anu 1SS, Nay SS4 anu 2u8, }une
7S9 anu 467, anu foi }uly 144u anu 826. Foi the thiiu week in August the numbeis
stanu at 244u infecteu anu 1229 ueaths. So fai theie aie not any confiimeu cases
outsiue of Afiica howevei hunuieus of people tiaveling fiom Afiica who have
appeaieu sick have been put into obseivation thioughout the 0niteu States, anu
Euiope.
Restiictions have been imposeu by some countiies on tiaveleis fiom the infecteu
countiies. Biitish Aiiways has suspenueu flights to West Afiica. Kenya Aiiways has
cancelleu its flights to Libeiia anu Sieiia Leone. Koiean Aii Lines has halteu its
flights to Kenya. Cabin ciews foi Aii Fiance have staiteu a petition to stop flights
fiom the West Afiican countiies most effecteu by Ebola.
Libeiia is biacing foi a majoi shoitage of foou, petioleum anu basic necessities
because of a uecision by the Ivoiy Coast to block access of ships using its space as a
tiansshipment point uue to the Ebola outbieak. Libeiia also may soon be aii-lockeu
because of the suspenueu flights fiom majoi anu iegional aiilines. The heavy
equipment manufactuiei Cateipillai has staiteu evacuating people fiom Libeiia.
Tawana Resouices, an Austialian iion oie company in Libeiia has sent all
nonessential Afiican woikeis, expatiiates, anu contiactois home. Canauian
0veiseas Petioleum has stoppeu uiilling in Libeiia anu has staiteu senuing some of
its expatiiates out of the countiy.
Accoiuing to Bi. Fiank ulovei, piesiuent of the 0.S. baseu oiganization SBIELB, who
iecently auuiesseu a 0.S. congiessional subcommittee, "the health system in West
Afiica has completely collapseu, 9S peicent of expatiiate uoctois fleu the countiy
when the outbieak hit, anu meuical staff lack piotective geai like gloves, gowns, anu
goggles. Patients aie tuineu away because centeis aie ovei capacity. Nost patients
aie uying with Ebola in theii communities because theie is simply no wheie to go."
Stoiies like the one fiom Phebe Bospital in Libeiia aie common wheie only one of
foui waius is open aftei Ebola claimeu the lives of five nuises. Less than a month
ago, theie weie aiounu two hunuieu uoctois, nuises, anu hospital staff. Touay that
numbei has plummeteu to less than twenty five. Seveial meuical facilities in West
Afiica have closeu uue to the Ebola outbieak.
As a last uitch effoit to limit the spieau of the viius "coiuons sanitaiie" have been
set up isolating iegions of Sieiia Leone, Libeiia, anu uuinea. The last time coiuon
sanitaiie was useu to stop an epiuemic was with Typhus in 1918 acioss the Polish-
Russian boiuei. People fiom the infecteu aiea aie not alloweu to leave anu the
coiuon may not be lifteu until eveiyone in the coiuon uies oi suivives the outbieak.
Nany of the inhabitants of these iegions weie caught by suipiise without auequate
foou, fuel, oi supplies.
"The Bot Zone: The Teiiifying Tiue Stoiy of the 0iigins of the Ebola viius" has
become peihaps moie peitinent than at any othei time since it was wiitten neaily
twenty yeais ago. It is still available fiom online book venuois.