I would have to say that I really enjoyed chapter 2. Thirteen Gorillas was the most interesting out of the first three, to me, because of how in-depth and detailed the information was. I have always wondered about the story of Ebola ever since my friends started joking about it in middle school. It is just so fascinating to me to learn about such a new disease like this one. It was so surprising how the earliest recording of this infection was in 1976. For some reason, when I think about such a devastating virus, I assume it has been around for centuries. It makes since to me that it would have thousands of years to grow and mature, but in reality, it isn’t the smartest virus. One thing we talked about that I found to be intriguing was the controversy of the particle or wave theory. When reading about each theory, I want to favor toward the particle theory just because I think each case could definitely be an individual spillover from a different host to humans. But when I read about the wave theory and watch the documentaries about Ebola and how easily it was spread throughout villages, I want to second guess myself. I would just have to say there is a little bit of both theories participating in the spread and spillovers of this insane virus.
The idea that most of our modern disease epidemics are occurring as a result of human encroachment on the natural ecological boundaries of the animal kingdom has to be the topic that impacts me most. With each new chapter I read I am exposed to a different example of humans disturbing the natural ecology of nature. Before taking this class and reading through the chapters in this book, I would have never thought about how we possibly bring these viruses upon ourselves. When I think about how much damage humans could (and do) bring to the natural order of things it affects me in a way that makes me want the human race to be better. When you think about it, it makes since. If we go into the wild, cut down trees, remove habitats and spillover into the wild, why wouldn’t the wild spillover into us? But, instead of with force, they spillover their diseases. I would have to say I see my world extremely different now. Maybe if we didn’t break the boundaries, we wouldn’t have to pay the consequences.