The Viral Epiphany Read Online Free Page B

nothing.
                “Did you ask for a UNAPS medical team to come too?”
                “Medical team?   You are the medical team, aren’t you?"
                Chuck glanced at Jim.   “No, we’re not. We’re disease investigators. We just want to collect some samples.”
                “You are not doctors?”
                “No.”
                Dr. Govin stared at Chuck, then at Jim.   His face remained passive but his shoulders stiffened slightly as he looked at each of them.   He looked past them for a moment and stared at the UN logo on their vehicle.   Then he sighed.
                “Very well, gentlemen. Proceed with whatever you have been asked to do.   I must get back to my patients.” Dr. Govin started to turn away.
                “OK, we’ll get some blood samples and start our analysis.   Meanwhile, has anyone tried to do anything about the mosquitoes that are breeding in the rice fields?”
                Dr. Govin stopped and turned back to Chuck, a look of resignation on his face.
                “A team is arriving later today. They will torch all the rice and spray DDT throughout the village later tonight.   That should take care of the mosquitoes for a while.”
    Within two hours Jim and Chuck had taken blood samples from all the infected villagers and began the process of searching for the virus. Their portable mass spectrometer would detect sequences of viral genes that would clearly indicate whether this was the usual dengue hemorrhagic fever or something new – maybe an even more vicious mutation.
    They soon had their first results.   “Same old thing,” Chuck said after looking at the display.
    “Same thing?   Are you sure?   Then how can it be so much more virulent?” Jim replied.
    “I don’t know.   Maybe it’s something about the orang asli immune systems.   I don’t think we have studied their population group before. Could be they are more susceptible than other people to the disease.”
    “Could be, I suppose, but that’s not our problem.   UNAPS just wants us to find diseases that have truly massive killing potential, and this isn’t it.   It’ll burn itself out way too fast. Well, let’s send the results to UNAPS anyway, and let them make their own decisions.”
    “You bet,” Chuck said and he began typing into the portable computer. A few minutes later he said, “OK. I just sent the results to New York. We’re done here.   Let’s get packed up!” As he closed up the computer case he felt a slight irritation on his neck. Instinctively, he slapped at the area and then he looked at the palm of his hand.   It held the remains of a splattered, bloody mosquito.
    “Damn.”
    Jim looked at him but said nothing for several seconds.   Then, “Didn’t you put on your repellent?” he asked.
    “Course I did,” Chuck said still staring at his palm.
    “It might not be a carrier, Chuck.”
    Chuck looked directly at Jim for several seconds.   “Yeh.   Maybe not… Damn.”
    Within an hour they had packed their gear and had a final, very brief, meeting with the beleaguered head of the Malaysian medical team.
    “I’m sorry we can’t help you any more,” Jim said, “as you know there is no cure for the disease.”   He turned to look at Chuck who was staring, transfixed, at the dying patients.   “It just has to burn itself out like it always does.   I think that the eradication of the rice crops will help a lot.”
    “You mean that you can’t do anything for us?”
    “No.   But anyway we have at least confirmed that we don’t have an outbreak of an unknown disease here.   So I guess that is some good news.”
    “Yes, well please excuse me,” Doctor Govin said, unable to disguise the disappointment in his voice, “I must tend to my patients.”   Another man, seemingly dissolving in a pool of blood, was breathing his last breaths and