And the Waters Turned to Blood

by Rodney Barker

Overview

In this account, Rodney Barker tells the full and terrifying story of a microorganism popping up along the Eastern seaboard—far closer to home than the Ebola virus and equally frightening. In the coastal waters of North Carolina—and now extending as far north as the Chesapeake Bay area—a mysterious and deadly aquatic organism named Pfiesteria piscicida threatens to unleash an environmental nightmare and human tragedy of catastrophic proportions. At the very center of this narrative is the heroic effort of Dr. JoAnn Burkholder and her colleagues, embattled and dedicated scientists confronting medical, political, and corporate powers to understand and conquer this new scourge before it claims more victims.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780684838458
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	03/31/1998
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Rodney Barker is the bestselling author of The Broken Circle, And the Waters Turned to Blood, and The Trail of the Painted Ponies. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

An aquatic ecologist from North Carolina State University, JoAnn Burkholder almost serendipitously discovered a new species of dinoflagellate, a single-celled organism living in the coastal waters of North Carolina. Years of experiments led her to conclude that toxins produced by this organism were responsible for many of the massive fish kills periodically occurring throughout the state and for a host of maladies experienced by people working and playing in the state's rivers and estuaries. Here, Barker (Dancing With the Devil) tells the gripping story of Burkholder and of the dinoflagellate that might well become a public health menace of enormous magnitude. The facts, from the bizarre and deadly behavior of the dinoflagellate to the arrogance and ineptitude of those governmental bureaucrats charged with assessing the situation, are astounding. But Barker undermines his story by writing in hyperbolic prose, casting Burkholder as a modern-day David battling against all sorts of Goliaths, including fellow scientists jealous of her growing fame, politicians fearful of the truth and public health officials more interested in protecting their reputations than the health of citizens. An intriguing and chilling scientific detective story comes across as less believable owing to these excesses. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The Hot Zone 2: roused by pollution, a tiny organism in the Chesapeake waters threatens to make the Ebola virus look like a picnic.

Library Journal