A Virology Reading List

This list of books, which help to simplify some of the information about viruses and virology, has been kindly compiled and placed onto Virology Down Under by Steve Guidon, a physicist at the Computational Physics Group, in the School of Physical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland.

Comment:
'Fever' is the story of one of the first well documented cases of Lassa fever. In Feburary of 1969 a virial outbreak was reported to have occured in a remote African missionary hospital. Within ten days two of the nurses were dead and several of the patients had also started to show signs that they had contracted the virus.
'Fever' is a very moving tale of the brave yet futile attempts by the poorly equiped staff of the small hospital to contain and combat the virus.

Title: The Hot Zone
Author: Richard Preston
Date of Publishing: 1994
ISBN: 0-552-14303-0
Glossary: Yes
Bibliography: No

Comment:
Story of the various outbreaks of the Ebola virus and related strains (eg Marburg).
Good if dramatic account of the Ebola virus and related strains (eg Marburg).
Details the various outbreaks of note, including Marburg (Germany) and Reston (Washington, USA), along with the numerous attempts to find the animal resevoir.

Title: Ebola
Author: Willian T. Close
Date of Publishing: 1995
ISBN: 0-09-967461-0
Glossary: No
Bibliography: No

Comment:
The story of one of the worst outbreaks of the Ebola virus to have occured. In 1976, at the Mission Of Yambuka in the Republic Of Zaire.
Story told by a doctor who had lived in Zaire for the last 16 years, with the President amoung his patients.

Title: Plague's Progress
Author: Arno Karlen
Date of Publishing: 1996
ISBN: 0-575-40012-9
Glossary: No
Bibliography: Yes (Good and Detailed).

Comment:
A social history of Man and Disease.

Title: The Body At War
Author: John Dwyer
Date of Publishing: 1988
ISBN: 0-04-820039-5
Glossary: No
Bibliography: No

Comment:
A very good guide to the human immune system.

Title: The Coming Plague
Author: Laurie Garrett
Date of Publishing: 1995
ISBN: 1-85381-764-3
Glossary: No
Bibliography: Superb, Excellent notes on each chapter.

Comment:
Bolivan Hemorragic Fever, Marburg, Yellow Fever, Lassa Fever, Ebola, Swine Flu, Legionnaires Disease.
A book to be highly recommended. Very good details and in-depth discussions of the effects of virus's both on individuals and on the community's in which they occur. New look for June 2003