Chapter 3: "What if"

                                                                                                                            Photo courtesy of Quentin X. Wikipedia


                The movie "Outbreak" is a 1995 American film which portray medical disasters, starring Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo, and co-stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, and Patrick Dempsey, and directed by Wolfgang Peterson.  The film focuses on the outbreak of a fictional virus called Motaba (very similar to Ebola virus), which causes deadly fever. One major difference is that the fictional-Ebola like virus, Motaba is infected by airborne whereas, Ebola is infected by human to human transmission.


 When:
       The fictional Ebola-like virus called Motaba was first discovered in the African jungle in 1967, but then twenty-eight years later, Motaba resurfaces in Zaire and it is infecting a huge amount of innocent individuals.

Where:
      The film takes place in two location: Zaire (Africa) and a small town in the United States. Which is the results from the transmission of one of the host animal, a white-headed capuchin monkey named Betsy. 

Who: 

•       Dustin Hoffman portrays a USAMRIID virologist named  Colonel Sam Daniels, who is sent to investigate the medical problem in Zaire. Came back to the United States to alert the people.

•       Patrick Dempsey starring a Biotest animal holding facility named James "Jimbo" Scott, illegally brought a white-headed capuchin monkey named Betsy from Zaire to the United States. Jimbo tries to sell Besty to Rudy, a pet store owner, who is also infected with Motaba. Later Jimbo started to show signs of infection while traveling to Boston, where he transmitted the disease to his girlfriend, Alice, by kissing her. He later died from Motaba.
•      Morgan Freeman portrays William Ford, who was a US Army officers in 1967, he and Donald McClintock, destroy the camp where the Motaba virus was found. After twenty-eight years later, currently a General, superior of Daniels.
•      Donald Sutherland portrays Donald McClintock, a US Army officers, he and William Ford, destroy the camp where the Motaba virus was found.
•      Kevin Spacey as Lieutenant Colonel Casey Schuler, who join the task of investigating the Motaba virus and later came back to the United States to alert the people. 
•      Cuba Gooding, Jr. starring Major Salt, a new recruit that joins the team to investigate the Motaba virus.
•      Daniel Chodos portrays Rudy Alvarez, a pet store owner, who later is infected with Motaba, before he releases Besty to the woods. He later died from Motaba. 
•       Alice, plays by Kellie Overbey, is the girlfriend of Rudy, who receive the virus by kissing. Later died from Motaba.
•       Rene Russo starring a CDC scientist and Daniel's ex-wife, Dr. Roberta Keough, who also investigates the infection and later establishes that no individuals in Boston was infected with the virus beside Jimbo and Alice.
•       Leland Hayward III as Henry, a technicians at a Cedar Creek hospital who was responsible in running tests on Rudy's blood, accidentally breaks a vial, splattering the contents, and infecting numerous Cedar Creek citizens with Motaba, and in addition, he died from the virus. 

What: 
       Basically, the movie depicts a somewhat similar scenario as what is currently happening today in real life. Except the bombing, monkey spitting at you, and a rocket scientist that was able to create a cure for the treatment at a short amount of time. Overall, the movie depiction of the sign and/or symptoms of the virus is quite similar to Ebola. So what is the movie about? Well, an idiot named Jimbo, let loose an illegally stolen monkey named Betsy from the Zaire where the Motaba virus was identified and is infecting and killing alot of cilivans in Zaire, Africa. Of course, Betsy is the reservoirs of the virus because throughout the movie, whoever comes in contact with Betsy tend to died and also expresses the sign and/or symptoms of the virus. Jimbo not only infected himself with the Motaba virus but also transmitted the disease to his girlfriend which later both of them died from the virus. Actually, Jimbo was not the only idiot in this movie, we also have Henry, the technician from Cedar Creek Hospital, which he was responsible for running blood tests on Rudy, yet he was so focus on horse racing, which he accidentally breaks a vial, causing the blood content to splatter on his face. Then he went to the movie with his girlfriend, and also coughing nonstop without covering his mouth. And therefore, the virus was transmitted to other people in Cedar Creek by airborne. (SERIOUSLY, don't he understand to cover his mouth when his job is related to health and medicine.) So the town was infected with Motaba, and they were quarantine, causing fears and panic for the government and among other citizens. Sam found out that the military has decided to bomb the town of Cedar Creek so he tries to prevent the military plan, and was able to capture Betsy and using Betsy's antibodies and with the E-1101 to create an anti-serum in time to save the town. 


How:
        Reinforcement from the "What," Sam found out that Ford, already knew Motaba and that the national security have kept a mysterious serum, called E-1101, however, the serum does not work of the citizens of Cedar Creek so he uses Betsy's antibodies and the serum together and were able to create a cure for Motaba and save the citizens of Cedar Creek.


          First of all, I like to discuss what I like about this movie. 1) The bleeding, and other physical symptoms demonstrated a great and accurate depiction of Ebola virus. 2) The transmission scene was really interesting and kind of scary. Now I really understand how important to cover our mouth or nose when we cough or sneeze. 3) Great actors and actresses, I really love the monkey, Betsy, the most. Hope that there were no animal abuse on sets. What astonishes me is that the government and the military would go beyond the extreme to launch a bomb on the town that were infected by Motaba. I really hope that this does not happen in reality. So is Ebola similar to the fictional Motaba? Well Ebola is NOT transmitted by airborne, or water. It is speculated that fruit bats is the reservoir of the Ebola virus. In contrast, with the movie, Betsy is known to be the host of the virus, Motaba and that she transmitted the virus to Jimbo by spitting at him and scratching Rudy. It seems that Motaba and and Ebola have similar symptoms (e.g. bleeding internally/externally, eyes, ears, nose, fever, gastrointestinal tract, etc). In conclusions, this movie makes a great references if anyone is interested in learning more about Ebola and the symptoms.