Zika: The Emerging Epidemic

by Donald G. McNeil

A gripping narrative about the origins and spread of the Zika virus by New York Times science reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr.

Until recently, Zika—once considered a mild disease—was hardly a cause for global panic. But as early as August 2015, doctors in northeast Brazil began to notice a many mothers who had recently experienced symptoms of the Zika virus were giving birth to babies with microcephaly, a serious disorder characterized by unusually small heads and brain damage.

By early 2016, Zika was making headlines as evidence mounted—and eventually confirmed—that microcephaly is caused by the virus, which can be contracted through mosquito bites or sexually transmitted.

The first death on American soil, in February 2016, was confirmed in Puerto Rico in April. The first case of microcephaly in Puerto Rico was confirmed on May 13, 2016. The virus has been known to be transmitted by the Aedes aegypti or Yellow Fever mosquito, but now Aedes albopictus, the Asian Tiger mosquito, has been found to carry it as well, which means it might affect regions as far north as New England and the Great Lakes. Right now, at least 298 million people in the Americas live in areas “conducive to Zika transmission,” according to a recent study. Over the next year, more than 5 million babies will be born.

In The Emerging Epidemic, Donald G. McNeil Jr. sets the facts straight in a fascinating exploration of Zika’s origins, how it’s spreading, the race for a cure, and what we can do to protect ourselves now.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Medical, Medicine, Health, Biology, Nature

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2016

About the author

Donald G. McNeil Jr. is a science reporter covering plagues and pestilences for the New York Times, where he began work as a copy boy in 1976. He is a former Africa correspondent and has reported from fifty-five countries.

Reviews

[K.T. Katzmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

About fifty pages in, I had to binge some Archer episodes to clear my head.

My mother-in-law is an internet conspiracy fanatic. I don't just mean your stock standard Obama fare; we're talking "Cauacasians and Asians are so different, alien genetic engineering was used" level of stuff. She realies on me for reality checks, and being that we live in Florida, zika is her new topic. I picked this up to prepare myself.

It's fast, well-written, and not pleasant.

The first forty pages or so start out easy enough. McNeil traces the natural history of zika, including the important question my Mom-in-Law asked: why haven't there been microcephaly outbreaks before? Answer: several geographic and biological reasons.

Then, around page fifty, the Brazillian zika outbreak is covered. We start talking about the babies.

There's a wham line quoted from one mother in a hospital that will make you put down the book and walk around in a daze for a minute.

The rest of the hundred pages focus on McNeil's interaction of the virus, learning

a) Who's working on public health zika concerns around the globe
b) Why the hell are they mismanaging this on the scale of a zombie movie government official

and

c) What experts predict will probably happen in America.

It's not pleasure reading, but it's a solid book less than 200 pages for someone who wants to understand things. Seriously, the damn thing is current as of June.

It does what it says on the tin.

Excuse me. Review over. I have to hug my kids.

[Mengying Zhang · Rating 3 out of 5]

One month ago, I did a presentation about association of Zika virus and Microcephaly in my neurological diseases class. After that, I received an email like "thanks for your presentation, especially the history of Zika virus study part, which looks a great medical thriller novel. I can't wait for reading this!" How could there be no book talking about Zika virus outbreak? Thus I'm pretty happy to find this book in July 3rd in a bookstore. It should be the first book, at least in my knowledge, to focus on the epidemics of Zika virus (tell me if I'm wrong).

I didn't finish this book. I only covered the first 6 chapters right now (since I'm a pretty slow English reader), so I can't judge the rest content. To be honest, I pretty like the first several chapters that the author gave pretty broad and mostly scientifically accurate review of the origin and spread of Zika virus, and answered several questions, such as why Zika virus wasn't attracted attention before, leading the WHO announcement or outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil during 2015-2016 sounds like anticlimactic breaking news. I've read scientific papers about Zika virus recently, but most of them are more relevant to molecular biology of Zika virus or evidence strengthening the link between Zika virus and microcephaly, which gave you detailed information of study of Zika virus and fetal congenital anomalies. This book did a good job connecting the evidence of origin of Zika virus and occurrence of mild symptoms, microcephaly and other complications like Guillain-Barre syndrome in an easy reading style and fluent timeline. It is a fascinating, quick understanding for public who is interested in Zika virus and wants to see the big picture of the outbreak and the symptoms.

This book is not written by a scientist, thus I'm not expecting it throughly covers all breakthroughs of Zika virus research. It only mentioned briefly about the finding of Zika virus in amniotic fluid, which serves as the first biological evidence suggesting the vertical transmission of Zika virus and the association with microcephaly. It didn't compare the symptoms between fetal congenital abnormalities linked to Zika virus and which linked to other viruses such as cytomegalovirus and rubella. The author sounds pretty arbitrary of the cause of microcephaly, even though it is relatively confirmed now, but was still an uncertainty in the end of 2015. The book lacks progress of researches about outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil and efforts put by clinicians, neurologists and other scientists. The book was published in June, so it didn't cover the most recent evidence of specific neural cell preference of Zika virus to get in, as well as researches about mechanisms of Zika virus-leading-microcephaly. However, those are quite understandable.

The most controversial part, or exciting part, or offending part-depends on individual's opinion-is the author's blame of WHO and CDC about hiding the truth of the risk of Zika virus. It can serve as an impressive story of how journalists press governments or organizations to be honest to public, somewhat like the popular movie Spotlight. I can tell some language used in this book is quite subjective, which shouldn't be considered as scientific and comprehensive. Overall, it is still a good book to read, from what I can tell, the first several chapters I've read so far.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely fascinating, informative, and definitely a read for everyone in the Western World. The author talks about the history of Zika, which was one of the most interesting and surprising sections of this book, how little of what they do know about Zika and how it compares to the massive unknown, and how the media and health officials have treated the discussion of Zika.

The narrator is Dan Woren, and he did a fantastic job. I felt as if I was listening to a well-done KERA medical documentary.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say, I was not impressed by this book. I didn't think he laid out the evidence very well. It seems he chose instead to use provocative accounts and anecdotal evidence. To emphasize that the Zika virus affects fetal brain development, he largely abandons reporting on an experiment with sound methodology and moves on to describe, in much greater detail a baby whose brain "dissolves" after the mother is infected with Zika, or describing how irresponsible pregnant women in south and Central America were by failing to use bug repellent and wearing full length pants and sleeves.

I should keep this book in context, it is not written by a scientist who specializes in infectious diseases or viruses. Donald McNeil Jr. Is a journalist, and he is paid to humanize such events. It also may explain why much of this book felt like he was cherry picking evidence to support what he believes the Zika virus is, although I do believe he did do thorough research. Most irritating, McNeil sounds preachy and condescending through a good portion of the book. Taking it upon himself to tell the public what their priorities are and should be, without taking into account wider implications and the nature of the environment many are in.

If you choose to read this book, I would recommend skipping the "Delaying Pregnancy" chapter all together.

[Sarah McPhedran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going into this knowing next to nothing about Zika, this book was a perfect primer for me. Until the last few chapters, I was willing to give it 4 stars
(1 star loss for focusing heavily on the response to Zika, rather than the virus itself. But given that it was written by a NYT science reporter and not a scientist, this is expected).

However, once I got to the chapter “Delaying pregnancy”, it became clear that Donald McNeil has extremely troubling views on women.

I am a scientist (I don’t study viruses, but am in an adjacent field). I agree with the advice that, given that the available tools for addressing a rampant Zika epidemic are limited, delaying pregnancy is the best way to keep babies safe. But there is nuance to this. Donald not only didn’t accept this nuance, he villainized the people (mostly women) who did.

First, he made it seem as if there was no excuse for women to not take birth control or receive an abortion in Central and South America. For example, in Colombia, he said that contraception was available at all public health clinics and abortion was legal in “some cases”. While true, Colombia has a population that is over 70% Catholic. Although women may be able to access contraception doesn’t mean that they easily can because of the extremely large stigma surrounding it. He didn’t seem to acknowledge that this is a very real situation for women living in Zika-infested areas. Also, it takes two people to get pregnant. Just because the woman carries the child, doesn’t mean the onus is on her to not get pregnant. Men carry half that burden, why isn’t their responsibility acknowledged?

Secondly, his view on reproductive rights groups raising the concern over rape being rampant in some countries was disturbing, to say the least. To quote, he was “offended by the reproductive rights group’s rhetoric.”He found it “patronizing.” He acknowledged that rape and sexual coercion was a real thing but claimed that reproductive rights groups believed “all women were victims, and all men were monsters.”

Of course all men aren’t monsters.
Of course sexual assault isn’t the fate of all women.
The point is, it shouldn’t be the fate of any women. Ever.

Sexual violence is a systemic problem for women not just in Central and South America, but women all over the world. Rape and sexual assault don’t just happen in bars or in dark alleys. It happens in partnerships, in trusting relationships. It goes unreported in most cases. It happens to women who have been so manipulated they may not even realize they are being assaulted.
(I want to acknowledge that men get sexually assaulted as well.)

And if you are personally offended by women raising the alarm on this problem, think about why. This isn’t about you. It’s about all the many, many women who have had to endure this.

Lastly, the way he talks about women was hard to read. He mentioned women in Puerto Rico showing cleavage, wearing tiny tank tops, wearing high heels and short shorts. He talked about his translator being “good looking”. I’m sorry, if your point is to illustrate that women were not covered up, you should use the same language as you would for men. Don’t talk about their cleavage. Don’t call your translator, a professional doing her job, good looking.

He also made a point to say that four Zika experts agreed with his points. Yet, the four he cited were all men. Doesn’t this tell you something about how narrow minded your views are? Doesn’t it hold a mirror up to your own bias?

It’s not that I disagreed with advice that pregnancy should’ve been delayed if possible during the Zika crisis (how that advice should be given, e.g. not putting the onus on women, should’ve been carefully thought through, though). I absolutely disagree with the way Donald wrote about it: he villainized individuals who didn’t agree with him and he didn’t seriously acknowledge the extreme caveats to this advice.

[Wera · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

"'Mild' diseases aren’t mild for everyone, and one cynic’s false alarm is another mother’s disaster. Stay alert. And empathic."

I read Zika: The Emerging Epidemic for my biology class. I expected to read it passively and get very, very bored. I am not usually enthralled by non-fiction. This book, however, really does make an impact on you.

The Zika virus is a flavivirus that greatly impacted South America and some southern areas of North America during the years 2013-2016. This book talks about the research and precautions that were taken in countries... or rather, lack thereof. Social and political angst is a much greater player in what the public hears from medical organizations than I ever thought. I never also realized the amount of moral and ethical debates that are being held about whether to share information with the public or to share a part of it. Although the book doesn't mean to, it delves deep into human nature and ethics and I did enjoy that.

Overall, it is a fascinating read. If you are thinking of giving non-fiction a go, I do recommend Zika: The Emerging Epidemic. It is short and sweet, but also really thought-provoking and interesting.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short primer on everything a non-epidemiologist world citizen needs to know about Zika as of late May 2016, by the New York Times Science journalist who would not let the story rest and covered Zika assiduously. McNeil is particularly hard on the CDC for its reluctance to categorically warn pregnant women of the risks (as they were waiting for definitive proof of the connection while thousands of Brazilian babies were affected). This went to press right before the announcement that a woman had transmitted the virus to her male sexual partner in NYC - so he states that there has been no known transmission from female to male, with the caveat that our knowledge is changing rapidly (and the virus will change, too). I only give it three stars because this isn't the sort of extended study that would garner five stars. But it's a perfectly adequate, informative, and topical. I learned a lot.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t written by a scientist studying Zika, but by a science reporter. Given that, it’s not terribly in depth about the disease itself, but rather provides something of an overview, written in an engaging and easy to read way. If you’re interested in learning the facts about Zika (at least as per the point when the book was sent to press), this is a good choice to my mind. It’s sometimes a little reliant on anecdotes, because of course much of the in-depth research on Zika was (and is) yet to be completed. Obviously, he has an interest in making it sound interesting and more than a little horrifying, but broadly speaking I trusted the sources he used.

A number of people have given this book relatively low ratings because McNeil is a big proponent of the advice to delay planned pregnancies if you live in a Zika-infected area. It’s unfeminist, people say; it ignores the fact that some of these areas have a high risk for sexual assault, it ignores female choice, etc, etc. I don’t quite get it: the first instance, he refers to planned pregnancy, so it’s not like he’s saying “don’t get sexually assaulted”. In the latter, you can choose to have a baby when you’re at risk of contracting Zika if you like, but then you must know and accept that your child could die or be severely harmed by it. McNeil doesn’t say “pregnancy should be banned and people who get pregnant should not get healthcare”. He says, “If I wanted a healthy baby, and I was planning to become pregnant, I would wait until I was sure I wasn’t at risk for Zika.” Which is fairly easy, since as far as we can tell, once you’ve had Zika once, you’re immune and there would no longer be a risk. And of course, there’s the potential for vaccines and eradication, in the longer term.

There’s also a bit of criticism of people who get pregnant in Zika-affected areas and then don’t take precautions not to contract Zika. Which is fair: you can choose to do risky things, but why should anyone think it’s a good idea?

All in all, I don’t think McNeil is wrong (or anti-feminist). He’s giving solid advice backed up by what we know of Zika. I don’t believe it’s anti-feminist to point out that drinking alcohol when you’re trying to get pregnant is likely to harm the baby once you do conceive if you don’t realise it, and that you’re best just avoiding drinking alcohol if you want your baby to be healthy. This is a similar situation.

Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.

[saizine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, quick read on the basics of Zika - what it is, its history, the reaction to its spread, the political and medical issues surrounding countering transmission, it's all in there. You can, however, tell that the book is written by a journalist - I found some of the commentary weak in analysis, and while valuable as an introduction to the politics and science of Zika, it was just that: an introduction. I may sound like I'm being a bit down on the book, but I'm certainly not. I'm very glad that I came to flick through this book first, before I venture on to more in-depth analyses. I'd certainly recommend it as a primer, so the star rating is probably closer to 3.5/3.75 in reality.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got hooked on reading about viruses during the last Ebola outbreak. This book is written by a NY Times science columnist who specializes in viruses/diseases globally. He brings a lot of virus history to his writing. It is compelling and scary stuff. It interesting how our world health leaders (WHO/CDC) put politics and economics into what we the people are told or advised during outbreaks. It seems impossible that we would place the tourism industry of a region/county before the lives of children or the welfare of counties - especially the poor. The bottom line is AVOID Mosquito bites whenever possible!

[Mary Ronan Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald McNeil, a science reporter who covers plagues and pestilence for the New York Times has put together this book about a rapidly and recently emerging virus and done a fine job of it. Named for a forest in Uganda where the disease first was identified, Zika has been moving from Africa through Polynesia to Easter Island.

Then early this year it jumped, so far inexplicably, to the area of Briazil near Recife and for the first time it was recognized that pregnant women who caught the mild virus were having babies with severe neurological damage. People who had Zika had always been more likely than the general population to be struck with Guillain Barre syndrome but microcephaly was a new and frightening mutation.

It helps to know little bit about viruses and communicable diseases to read this book. But not knowing a filovirus from a flavivirus is not important. All you really have to understand about Aedes mosuitoes and their future threat in the US is that the aegypti - the little fly that spreads Zika - lives mostly in the Gulf Coast states.

However, as the author points out, in the past bug diseases didn't change to become the kind of thing you could catch from a pole on the subway. But the Zika virus has gone from being an arbovirus, spread by mosquitoes (which it remains, primarily), to a STD. No one knows where it's going and what it will do next.

[Atila Iamarino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um livro que claramente foi adiantado para sair durante a epidemia. Muitos pontos ficam no "ainda não sabemos". Mas tirando as (grandes) partes desconhecidas, ele tem uma boa explicação histórica sobre de onde vem o zika e conta muito bem como ele circulou pelo mundo desde 2007.

A cobertura sobre o Brasil é bem informada. E ele constantemente volta para uma discussão que teve mais relevância internacional, a recomendação – ou a falta de – para que mulheres não engravidassem. Acaba sendo um livro mais voltado para o problema nos EUA.

Como jornalista do NYTimes especializado em epidemias, o Donald G. McNeil sabe ligar muito bem os pontos e entrevistar as pessoas certas para o livro. Mas, misteriosamente para sua qualificação, chama o Toxoplasma de bactéria (é um protozoário), erro que saiu inclusive na versão traduzida para o português, lançada aqui em outubro.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In light of all the recent news circulating about Zika, I thought this would be an interesting and informative summer read. I found the book to be extremely easy to read and understand, even though I do not have a medical background. I was fascinated by all the information it contained, but I also enjoyed the author's flair held within its pages.

[Jackie Ensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick read, very interesting - covers how Zika came to be known and what is known now about the virus

[Darnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good source for getting up to date on the history and current status of Zika, but it gets pretty far into the weeds on certain issues.

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I found Zika to be a quick and light read. It seemed to skim over the epidemic but keep in mind it was written during the original outbreak of the disease - well before the 2016 Olympic games.

Like most books of this ilk, it is full of facts and gives an accurate timeline of the movements of the disease. It also talks in depth about how the disease is transmitted and the risks involved.

I must say that being an Australian, although the fear was noticed worldwide, it was never really thought to be a major concern down here. The closest the outbreak ever really got was to distant islands in the Pacific ocean. Of course, there was always the concern that a traveller would bring the disease back with them when
they returned.

The most intriguing part of this book to me was the lack of information passed on to those who needed it most. Areas where the disease was rife - Brazil & Puerto Rico for example - seemed to get little information about the problem. The general view was to stay away from still water and avoid being bitten by a mosquito. Here in Australia, it was common knowledge that pregnant women should stay away from dangerous areas. Coming up to the Olympics there was a big fuss as to whether or not female athletes should attend. I admit my understanding was that obviously pregnant women should avoid getting sick of any kind and that young women were scared that the virus would halt their chances of future pregnancy. This is not the actual facts.

McNeil's book tells of more in-depth fears, especially for women who have already conceived. It talks of the disease spreading via sexual contact (which I did not know) as well as by mosquito bite. But the bigges
t eye-opener to me is the common incorrect perception that Zika is a death sentence, much like AIDS was considered when it first arrived. Again this is wrong. Although there is no cure Zika is on a par with getting a bad flu - except for the dangers to an unborn foetus and the chance it can be sexually transmitted. However, I guess the likelihood of transmitting the flu via sexual contact is remote - who really feels up to it when they get the flu? :)

A mid range review from me. Positives are the dispelling of misnomers and the background to the outbreaks. I just felt that in parts it skimmed the surface and may not have delved into questions I would have liked answered."

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book served its purpose, giving me valuable information about Zika from a credible journalist. For that alone, I'd recommend it for anyone wanting to know more. It only covers up to April 2016 or so, so new information can and has surfaced since its writing. For example, W.H.O. has extended its recommendation for men and women who have traveled to a mosquito-borne Zika affected area to ensure they are having protected sex for 6 months afterwards, upped from 2 months. Also there have been some confirmed mosquito contracted cases in Florida and Texas now.

It's clear that this book is aimed at women, or at least the author knows that women are especially interested. That makes sense. I did get annoyed and frustrated a bit (I guess spoiler alert? Weird book to put a spoiler warning) when he overwhelmingly shows his frustration that the CDC won't outright recommend delaying pregnancy to those in affected areas. He's right in that that's the best way to prevent birth defects from infection. But it comes off as callous and righteous as if it say, "why can't you just say this and why can't women just do this?" while somewhat disregarding that family planning is an overwhelmingly complex and individual process. He doesn't ignore those factors and in the end I think his conclusions are fair and agree that that information should be widely distributed, but towards that latter section of the book it kept reading as "I'm right, why can't everyone see how right I am?" There are many risk factors with any pregnancy, not just Zika. Though the way he lays it out it feels like he's saying, "if you just delay until we know the danger has passed, then you can surely have a healthy baby later." That's not really guaranteed though, is it? I think the author would probably rightly contest that statement and say that's not what he means but it was hard not to feel irked by his tone sometimes. The onus really is put on women with this disease. In general, I'd love to see a bit more emphasis put on men's roles in the disease as well. It's out there, but barely.

In the end though, I think he's effective with his research and I trust his journalistic standards. I sought out his articles from after this book was published and I'll continue to do so.

[Susan Olesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zika, the virus that causes babies to be born with tiny heads, and all the disabilities that go with it, is carried by mosquitoes, and has been wrecking havoc in South America, the Caribbean, and some of the South Pacific. Good luck NOT being bitten by a mosquito. Even if you don't live in a zone inhabited by the carriers, you may very well travel to one. And yes, you need to be careful. You.

McNeil's book is about average for books on epidemiology. He's thorough in his examination of all sides of the issue (which, too often in the US, because we're not highly affected by it, is "So?) What's more frightening is the facts he digs up, such as it doesn't matter what trimester of pregnancy you are infected in, the Zika virus can cross the placenta like few others, and will affect your baby whether you are one day pregnant or will deliver next week. Zika doesn't care. Zika is the rare virus that crosses over and can be detected in semen for months following infection. If you're in a Zika zone, you should take every precaution not to get pregnant. Try that in an emerging country where religion rules and birth control is difficult. You may not even know you've had Zika; in the adult, it's rather mild.

Perhaps the most intriguing concept he discusses is the role of viruses in brain disruption - and I'm desperate to hear more research on it. A Finnish study found a very strong link between pregnant women who had the flu, and an increased incidence of schizophrenia in their offspring. Following the 1957 Asian flu epidemic, there was a dramatic spike in schizophrenia diagnoses. They postulate that Rosemary Kennedy, the President's disabled sister, may actually have been such a victim - born immediately following the massive Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-9. Always a little slow, she began to turn violent in her late teens, and suffered one of the first lobotomies, which left her much more disabled than she was. Food for thought in our surging numbers of autism and ADHD.

If you don't know much about Zika, and especially live in the Southern US, you may just want to read this.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library for a paper I was writing and ended up reading the entire thing. It's nonfiction written by a reporter and describes the rise of the Zika epidemic. It reads like a novel almost and is really fascinating, starting with a background of the epidemic and wrapping up with thoughts about the future of the virus. It was written in the year that it hit the US and obviously could only make predictions about what would happen, but I thought it was really interesting to learn more about how a virus becomes an epidemic and all of the political factors that go into the way such a thing is handled and information is related to the public. There will probably be very few people who actually have an interest in this topic, but if you do I recommend!

[Cassandra Durden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im a graduate student studying epidemiology with a particular interest in arbovirology. good overview of the origins of Zika for a non-scientist, but I think leaves out some key information about the early research and origins and could use an update. Has a lot of opinions for someone who is not a virologist, entomologist, epidemiologist, etc… Could have done without the commentary about conspiracies within the CDC, especially considering the author is a white man and the topics he’s speaking about primarily affect women of color. Definitely a bit tone deaf. But interesting read for the most part!

[Everett Dalesio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview of the Zika epidemic. My biggest issues with this book are the point of view and timing of publishing. Because it was written in first person from the perspective of the author and journalist who followed the epidemic in real time there’s a lot of good details about it, but between chapters there are bounces in dates that get confusing. I also would’ve liked a more in-depth review of the science but because this was written so soon after the epidemic that wasn’t really possible. Still a good book and a good review of a somewhat forgotten epidemic.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book until the "Delaying Pregnancy" chapter. McNeil consistently harped on the irresponsibility of pregnant women in regards to avoiding Zika, and completely missed the mark in understanding why the methods used to discourage pregnancy during the peak of the crisis were so harmful and demeaning. Another example of men who seem to genuinely believe they know what course is best for women without listening.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book as the Covid-2019 is spreading; and the videos of people suffering and isolated is very very very sad. The author organizes the Zika Outbreaks in a logical manner andt gives credit to the multitude that had a part in diagnosing the situation. Amazing studies were performed to answer many questions; trimestera, locations, anti-bodies, virus going to the brains of children in their mothers womb. I am sorry for the mothers and families; and God Bless your children.

[Maura Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the Zika issue up to May 2016. While reading reviews, I noticed that many women gave it lower ratings because they were offended by the author's feeling that women should delay pregnancy, and his frustration with the CDC refusing to state this adamantly. I find these poor reviews infuriatingly narrow-minded. I feel the author did a wonderful job.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Question that was probably answered in the book: if there is an immunity to Zika after exposure, instead of telling pregnant women who live in zika areas to delay pregnancy indefinitely, can't they tell them to delay for a year and purposely expose themselves to Zika so that they are then immune in the following years and can then get pregnant safely?

[Shelbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fairly interesting, but then the author went on this super long tangent railing feminist groups and reproductive rights groups. I understood his point but I think he devoted way too much of the book to saying “not all men” and things of that nature. Would be very interesting to see how different a book on Zika would be if written by a woman.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting assessment on profound impact of Zika virus outbreak worldwide prior to the olympics in Rio. I appreciate the investigative journalist approach, he clearly put a lot of leg work into investigating the disease and why health organizations were not keeping the public appropriately updated. I would recommend it.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating 5-hour audiobook covering the history of the Zika virus up to the book’s publication date of 2016.

I noticed this statement in the blurb: “… Zika’s origins … and what we can do to protect ourselves...” Answer? Not much!

I’ll have to research now to bring the history up to date.

Recommended!

[Korrine Terroso York · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept expecting there to be more, but there never was. I guess this book was written during the Zika outbreak and never updated. It felt like the author just wanted a chance to put himself forward as an expert.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for anyone who liked the Hot Zone or other epidemic-lit.