In one of the greatest feats of modern science, the devastating smallpox virus, the worst disease in human history, was purged from the planet in 1979. In the interest of research, two stores were kept: one at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and one at a Russian virology institute. But the demon in the freezer has been set loose. Iraq and North Korea are almost certainly hiding illegal stocks of the deadly virus.Now Richard Preston relates in fascinating detail the story of the eradication of smallpox, and introduces us to some of the most sophisticated scientific minds in America, past and present. On the front lines of the fight to protect the civilian population against biological weapons is virologist Peter Jahrling. He is leading a team of scientists in controversial--and successful--experiments with live smallpox, reawakening the virus at the CDC, and seeking to find a cure for the disease. The moving story of his trials and triumphs, set against the backdrop of the virus's history, frame Preston s cutting
analysis of the future of our nation's biodefense. |
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