Virus Hunter: Thirty Years of Battling Hot Viruses Around the World

by C.J. Peters, Mark Olshaker

A New York Times Notable Book
 
The man who led the battle against Ebola in The Hot Zone teams up with the bestselling co-author of Mind Hunter to chronicle his extraordinary thirty-year career fighting deadly viruses. 

For three decades, Dr. C. J. Peters was on the front lines of our biological battle against “hot” viruses around the world. In the course of that career, he learned countless lessons about our interspecies turf wars with infectious agents. Called in to contain an outbreak of deadly hemorrhagic fever in Bolivia, he confronted the despair of trying to save a colleague who accidentally infected himself with an errant scalpel. Working in Level 4 labs on the Machupo and Ebola viruses, he saw time and again why expensive high-tech biohazard containment equipment is only as safe as the people who use it.
 
Because of new, emerging viruses, and the return of old, “vanquished” ones for which vaccines do not exist, there remains a very real danger of a new epidemic that could, without proper surveillance and early intervention, spread worldwide virtually overnight. And the possibility of foreign countries or terrorist groups using deadly airborne viruses—the poor man’s nuclear arsenal—looms larger than ever.
 
High-octane science writing at its best and most revealing, Virus Hunter is a thrilling first-person account of what it is like to be a warrior in the Hot Zone.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Medicine, Medical, History, Disease, Health

323 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 1997

Reviews

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book nearly every year since it was published, and I still enjoy it. The science in this book is somewhat dated, but you still get an accurate account of what it's really like to work in this field. I wish Peters would write a follow-up to this book.

If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:

✱ Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC - written by Epidemiologists working in the field

✱ The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases - written by a journalist with a BS in Immunology, Garrett is currently the Senior Fellow for Global Health

✱ Beating Back the Devil: On the Front Lines with the Disease Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service - written by a journalist who spent a year with the EIS

✱ Panic in Level 4 - written by a journalist, facts are sometimes exaggerated

✱ The Demon in the Freezer - written a journalist, facts are sometimes exaggerated

[Betsy Curlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good account of what it's like working for the CDC and chasing after viral outbreaks around the world. It can be a bit tiresome to read at time, because there is a lot of prose, but if you can stick it out, you will learn a lot about the field experiences that come with this type of work, as well as the hazards of being exposed to deadly viruses. I just wished he had left out more of the stuff about his personal life, and stuck to his professional life.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I think this book is written in a way that explains the science of virology and pathogens as clearly as possible, which I was impressed by, but I’m also an artist who still really struggled to understand sometimes (particularly one segment talking about antihuman antibodies….. I tried, I did, but eventually I just had to accept that I was never going to understand what the fuck was happening). I found CJ Peters to be a blunt but likeable narrator, and I thought this book made for a calm and more thorough follow-up to the somewhat dramatized Hot Zone.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my next life I'm gonna be a virologist

[Mark Kortepeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir told by one of the giants in the infectious disease containment lab and viral hemorrhagic fever space. Overall, an enjoyable read. The chapters varied in their pace, so I found myself skipping through some of the more dull parts, but overall, I highly recommend to those who want the real story about some historic outbreaks, especially those related to early Ebola and other hemorrhagic fever outbreaks. Covers the Ebola Reston outbreak, but without the hyperbole in other books on the subject. Great coverage of the inside story of the first hantavirus pulmonary syndrome outbreak in the US caused by Sin Nombre virus.

[Priscila Romo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The epidemiological investigations were excellent and riveting, especially when it came to virus origins. I’m a freak who loves all things viruses and dapple in the clinical lab field. But the little quip life anecdotes gave a very human perspective when tackling such heavy life circumstances. I did roll my eyes a little on the personal life of the narrator. Although it gave more understanding in some portions to his emotions during such research- I felt like there was a little bit of unnecessary life stories. Oh well. This is only my opinion, it was fine

[John Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.J. Peters is one of a rare breed. He has gone to the ends of the earth to seek out the most infectious and lethal diseases -- diseases for which there were no treatments -- in order to provide a scientific basis for their control. A highly trained physician and immunologist, spent his life in government agencies and universities when he could easily have earned more in private practice.

Read this unassuming book and you will discover a lot about emerging diseases, especially Ebola and its related viral hemorrhagic fevers. You well learn how they are fought and how they are researched. You should come away from the book with a serious concern that we will see another pandemic in a few years or a few decades unless we act now to strengthen the international institutions to detect and stop the threats early.

I hope you will also come away from the book with a great respect for the men and women who put themselves on the front line fighting these emerging diseases.

Here is a summary of the discussion of the book by members of a History Book Club to which I belong: http://j.mp/1zD3ruD

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exciting book. CJ Peters must be a hell of a brilliant guy!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book responsible for why I do what I do for living.

[Sarah]

Awesome book. I have achieved a whole new level in my "Bubble Girl" secret identity.

[Pancha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. It had some memoir aspects, but not to the point that they eclipsed the exploration of hot zones, virus hunting, and lab safety procedures.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is written in layman's terms so it's very easy to understand. I learned a lot from it and would highly recommend it especially now during the covid pandemic.

[Fred Dameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

For people who want to know how the U.S. used to go about finding and fighting disease, this is a good read. It is an autobiography so there are some dull spots where one wades through failed marriages and the pain they cause. But that is the price of being a type A person who is a workaholic. Work that has led to a lot of good science on how to handle hot viruses. Peter's also goes into some of the politics that goes on behind the scenes that has led to infighting between CDC, the Army, State and municipal public health authorities. He also looks down the road from printing. Unfortunately his imagined scenario does not have the resources that he had in his last days in the CDC. The scenario would not be known in the States until either the French or English released the info. The GOP's attack on science over the last eight years has left the country extremely vulnerable to any viral outbreak. For political reasons the CDC no longer publishes an easy to find public report on STD's, teenage pregnancy, viral surveillance of malaria, yellow fever, and dozens of other diseases that are making a come back. I get that the GOP does not like science because it deals in facts and they don't like facts but if an out break as described in Peter's last chapter happened the U.S. government would not know until several hundred U.S. citizens had died. This is foolish and shortsighted by our politicians but yall elected them. Think about the continuing attack on the CDC that left it lagging behind Doctor's With Out Boarders during the 2014 Ebola out break in Nigeria. The U.S. used to lead the way and Ft. Detrick and the CDC were the Cavalry. Today we show up do a body count after the disease has run it's course and run out of hosts. Now imagine that it starts in Houston, New York, or L.A.. How bad could the 2014 Ebola out break be if it hit hose cities first? But that's what you want a scientifically ignorant base and politicians who respond to the lowest common denominator.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peters is first and foremost a scientist, and keeps to the facts while injecting portions of personal narrative and light humor. I found it the complete opposite of The Hot Zone, which fuels fear with gory, outright lies about Ebola victims "liquefying in their beds" and leans more toward Hollywood script than factual account. In particular, Peters' account of the demise of Donato was both a sad recounting and an important lesson about safety.

At times the writing can be a little dry, especially later in the book when Peters talks about former time at USAMRIID, but this wasn't entirely unexpected of science nonfiction work.

After so many mentions of events happening up to the early 90s, I couldn't help but wonder why Peters was fixating on this. When I flipped to the publication date at the front of the book, I was surprised that its first printing was in 1997. My bad. I assumed I was getting something newer when I first purchased this, but it just goes to show that one should never judge a book by its cover, no matter how nice the graphic design. That said, the science in the book has obviously aged now and significant advances forward have been made, including development of the first Ebola vaccines. I am not suggesting that Peters' book isn't worth reading, but if you do want to delve into the world of hot viruses, I would start here and then move on to something more recent, such as Spillover by David Quammen, which effectively predicted the Ebola outbreak circa 2014.

Overall, an interesting and informative read for those not already familiar with the topic.

[Emma Chaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. The book follows the author of this book a young man. It shows how he eventually became head at USAMRIID . When he was young, his mother battled cancer and died a slow and painful death. Though Peters didn't know it at the time, that would soon inspire him to look into the medical field. Peters decided to do work in Panama as a college student and became fascinated with tropical diseases. A cool connection between this book and what we're doing in English is that Peters was in college at the begging of the Vietnam war. He needed to make sure he had a job set for once he finished the year so he wouldn't be drafted as a surgeon. He started working for USAMRIID after a fried started there and when he was hired he knew he was going to stay. He had some close encounters with very infectious diseases, but in the end Peters was safe. He felt it was important to keep helping the US battle with illnesses for as long as people are sick.

[Thomas Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to my local library on 9-16 hoping to find a new non-fiction book. I like current issue topics. Didn’t find much so I searched the Science stack. Wow! I pulled out the Virus Hunter and opened to a description of work with lab animals. I was hooked.
Having worked with large lab animals before getting a teaching job out of college I immediately emphasized with the author, not to mention the relevant issue of COVID as well.
The author has stories of virus tracking and patient treatment that are now relevant to viral spread.
I throughly enjoyed his descriptions of travel through Central America, Africa, American Indian reservation. An excellent read for one who is not familiar with medical procedures when tackling infection control.
The author presents a concise description of the science involved.
And finally a prediction (written in 1995 + -) of viral spread, nearly like COVID-19 right down to the vector ( source ) carried through bats in SE Asia.

[Graham Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reads like a classic thriller at times, interspersed with reminiscing from a top notch scientist who has seen some hairy things and dealt with amazingly dangerous viruses. A great read that feels so fresh but was written over 20 years ago. Some of what C.J. Peters dealt with was so new and scary is still so unknown that it should scare the pants off of most who read this book. I enjoyed this one and liked how he slowly built up to the ebola outbreak on US shores. While we know so much more about viruses and can sequence DNA, this stuff is still so incredibly complex and we have much unknown to discover and explore in the world of virology.

[Bud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift many years ago and have had it on my shelf. It was a timely read. Dr. Peters does a great job of describing his early education and experiences as a virologist eventually working in Level 4 laboratories at USAMRIID and CDC and working with a variety of deadly viruses from hantavirus to ebola. I recognized many of the folks named at CDC because of my years in CDC Atlanta and my work in the Public Health Practice Program Office. Here is the last two prescient sentences from the book: "Maybe no deadly pandemic will occur. But I wouldn't want to bet my life on it."

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting first-person account of a scientist who was in the high ranks of the CDC, USAMRIID and the Public Health Service, fighting infectious microbes around the world. Lots of good details help you see it clearly. It was interesting to compare how infectious disease is discovered, researched and treated according to what agency is in charge at that point. Recommended for anyone interested in epidemics, microbiology, or infectious diseases in general.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read to understand a little more about how viruses work (if you aren't in the medical field) and what it's like to try to learn about new viruses as they pop up in surprising ways. I probably would never have read this if not for Coronavirus, but it was interesting. It is not a medical textbook or a treatise about viruses, but a first person account of what it was like working for military and CDC over several decades - exploring viruses around the world.

[NathanM Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent memoir by one of our nation's top virologists - someone who's helped face down some of nature's worst threats. Reading this in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic has given me particular appreciation for what's involved in public health work... without all the political warfare we are (unfortunately) experiencing in 2020.

[Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually my second read of this book. Although written over a decade ago, the material within is still very much relevant today. All the issues with surveillance reporting, hindrances political and otherwise to response, were predictable even to today's COVID. Well worth re-reading for myself.

[Lacey Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought The Hot Zone was good (albeit sensationalized), this is a first hand account from one of the virologists who worked on Ebola and other emerging diseases at the CDC and USAMRIID. He tells the story of his 30 year career working in virology and epidemiology.

[JL Salty]

Dnf. I like non-fiction to read more like fiction, I’m afraid: a little lazy like that. This one was a little dry for me, and I don’t have time ;)
Rating: pg for frank medical discussion, description of disease, ravages, effects etc.
Recommend: hs and up interested in this area of medicine.
9/2022

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two of my favorite quotes:
“It’s easier to reach for the stars when you stand on the shoulders of giants.”
And
“Maybe no deadly pandemic will occur. But I wouldn’t want to bet my life on it.” (written 1997)

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book and scary considering when it was written and how we’ve just encountered our own terrifying virus that the author warned us was in the future.

[k · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much animal cruelty

[PJ Beaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a general understanding of what viruses are, how they are spread, and even how they are named. Fascinating history of viruses and those who study them.

[Meg]

Peters details a history in tracking and investigating some scary diseases with a very down to earth tone (lots of butt puckering and the occasional "shit" for emphasis) he covers several scary outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever (the ones where people bleed) and a Hanta virus in the US, working in a range of medical facilities. Unsurprisingly, he warns of the next big one if we don't try and stay ahead of the various possible mutations and outbreaks. But instead we're all living that mask life now.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the hot zone in 2020, since it was kind of fitting. Saw this one and grabbed it too. The level 4 stuff is fascinating. I think what we had this past year was a lot of fear pushing by the media to meet an end. But this book makes covid look like a small cold after reading what goes on in Africa and other places. The true, unbiased scientists know what to study and say.
It’s a great book to read for perspective. Some really interesting parts.