Outbreak (novel)
Encyclopedia
Outbreak is a medical thriller
written by Dr. Robin Cook
and published in 1987 which deals with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola
virus in the United States.
Despite its name and very similar storyline, the book is not connected to the 1995 movie also called Outbreak
. The book was made into a television movie in 1995 and released under the title Robin Cook's Virus
, later re-named Formula for Death, starring Nicollette Sheridan
and William Devane
.
investigates a series of deadly ebola
outbreaks. The ebola virus, considered a level 4 pathogen, then plays havoc with the lives of innocent people. The ultimate villain is the ever-helpful doctor friend of Dr. Blumenthal. In the end Dr. Blumenthal is nearly killed by a goon but an FBI agent kills him and she is saved. The person she suspected was innocent and simply had been so caught up in protecting the CDC that he refused to listen and figured out the truth almost too late. Later it is explained to her that due to her investigation the people responsible for the outbreaks were caught and were going to jail for a long time including her former friend and that what they did was being compared to the Nazis. She has become an international epidemiological hero for her actions but she has decided to possibly go back into pediatrics after a vacation she's about to take at the end of the story.
Medical thriller
A medical thriller is a type of thriller with major elements regarding medicine, medical practice or surgery. Examples of such works are The Third Pandemic by Pierre Ouellette, Safari by Ahmed Khaled Towfik, works by Robin Cook, and the 2011 film Contagion....
written by Dr. Robin Cook
Robin Cook (novelist)
Dr. Robin Cook is an American physician and novelist who writes about medicine and topics affecting public health....
and published in 1987 which deals with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola
Ebola
Ebola virus disease is the name for the human disease which may be caused by any of the four known ebolaviruses. These four viruses are: Bundibugyo virus , Ebola virus , Sudan virus , and Taï Forest virus...
virus in the United States.
Despite its name and very similar storyline, the book is not connected to the 1995 movie also called Outbreak
Outbreak (film)
Outbreak is a 1995 American disaster film starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey. The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen. In addition, Outbreak features Cuba Gooding, Jr., Donald Sutherland, and Patrick Dempsey....
. The book was made into a television movie in 1995 and released under the title Robin Cook's Virus
Virus (1995 film)
Virus is a 1995 television movie starring Nicollette Sheridan, William Devane, Stephen Caffrey, Dakin Matthews, Kurt Fuller, Barry Corbin and William Atherton. It was directed by Armand Mastroianni and written by Robin Cook and Roger Young, based on Cook's novel Outbreak. The film is also known as...
, later re-named Formula for Death, starring Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan is an English film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives and as Paige Matheson on Knots Landing.-Early life:...
and William Devane
William Devane
William Joseph Devane is an American film, television and theater actor.-Life and career:Devane was born in Albany, New York in 1937 or 1939 , the son of Joseph Devane, who was Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York...
.
Synopsis
Dr. Marissa Blumenthal of the CDCCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
investigates a series of deadly ebola
Ebola
Ebola virus disease is the name for the human disease which may be caused by any of the four known ebolaviruses. These four viruses are: Bundibugyo virus , Ebola virus , Sudan virus , and Taï Forest virus...
outbreaks. The ebola virus, considered a level 4 pathogen, then plays havoc with the lives of innocent people. The ultimate villain is the ever-helpful doctor friend of Dr. Blumenthal. In the end Dr. Blumenthal is nearly killed by a goon but an FBI agent kills him and she is saved. The person she suspected was innocent and simply had been so caught up in protecting the CDC that he refused to listen and figured out the truth almost too late. Later it is explained to her that due to her investigation the people responsible for the outbreaks were caught and were going to jail for a long time including her former friend and that what they did was being compared to the Nazis. She has become an international epidemiological hero for her actions but she has decided to possibly go back into pediatrics after a vacation she's about to take at the end of the story.
- Cook, Robin. (1987) Outbreak. ISBN 0-425-10687-X