Zika, Donald G. McNeil
Zika, Donald G. McNeil
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Zika
The Emerging Epidemic

Author: Donald G. McNeil

Narrator: Dan Woren

Unabridged: 5 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/05/2016


Synopsis

A gripping narrative about the Zika virus from the New York Times science reporter covering the outbreak.

Until recently, Zika virus—once considered a mild disease—was hardly a cause for global panic. But as early as August of 2015, doctors in Brazil’s northeast region began to notice a trend: many mothers who had recently experienced Zika symptoms were giving birth to babies with microcephaly, a serious disorder characterized by unusually small heads and brain damage. By the beginning of 2016, Zika was making headlines as evidence mounted, and eventually confirmed, that microcephaly is a direct result of the virus, which can be contracted through mosquito bites or sexually transmitted. As reported cases inch northward, the question of the moment has become: how far will the epidemic spread? In Zika, New York Times science reporter 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.

About Donald G. McNeil

Donald G. McNeil, Jr. spent almost his entire career at The New York Times, starting as a copy boy in 1976. For twenty-five years, he was a science correspondent, reporting from sixty countries as he covered global health and infectious diseases, including AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, SARS, Zika, swine flu, and bird flu. His prescient reporting on the coronavirus epidemic and his insightful appearances on The Daily podcast helped The New York Times win the 2021 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service. He also won the 2020 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism, the 2007 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Grand Prize, and awards from GLAAD, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Association of Health Care Journalists. He is the author of Zika: The Emerging Epidemic and The Wisdom of Plagues: Lessons from 25 Years of Covering Pandemics.


Reviews

Goodreads review by K.T. on September 10, 2016

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......more

Goodreads review by Mengying on July 17, 2016

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 re......more

Goodreads review by Carolyn on June 22, 2016

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 s......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on May 10, 2025

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 an......more

Goodreads review by Wera on February 16, 2020

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.......more