Marburg Virus

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Saw this on Wikipedia about the Marburg Virus and its use on other TV shows:

In the TV series Medical Investigation, episode 17, the Marburg virus breaks out in New York City, killing 5 from a total of 6 infected persons.

In the TV series ReGenesis, episode 11, the source of an earlier Marburg outbreak is investigated

In the film WW3: Winds of Terror (2001), directed by Robert Mandel, a variant of Marburg becomes a deadly bioweapon that can be used by terrorists.

[ethsnafu]

God I never knew....

I wonder what the 'Marburg' attraction is so to speak? Despite being undoubtably horrific in its mode of action there are plenty of other viral meanies out there that are as dramatic if not more so.

Marburg certainly seems to be a genre darling of late?

It's the Paris Hilton of the Sci-Fi world.

[Guest SouthernCelt]

It's the Paris Hilton of the Sci-Fi world.

The Typhoid Mary perhaps, but I'd hesitate to give Paris Hilton that much significance. Hilton evokes either mirth or pity depending on your POV; Marburg is scary.

I think part of the popularity of this disease as a plot element may go to it's easy-to-remember name that has a bit of "hard" sound to it. Also it's an apellation that doesn't give any clue as to symptoms or physical manifestation so writers can "tweak" the descriptions of what they want the disease to look like when contracted. After all, it's show business and entertainment, not medical programming.

[ethsnafu]

The Typhoid Mary perhaps, but I'd hesitate to give Paris Hilton that much significance. Hilton evokes either mirth or pity depending on your POV; Marburg is scary.

I think part of the popularity of this disease as a plot element may go to it's easy-to-remember name that has a bit of "hard" sound to it. Also it's an apellation that doesn't give any clue as to symptoms or physical manifestation so writers can "tweak" the descriptions of what they want the disease to look like when contracted. After all, it's show business and entertainment, not medical programming.

I wouldn't have thought that was the case Celt since pathogens rarely suggest their symptomology from the eponymous moniker they have been assigned. On a prosaic note 'influenza' does not immediately command the understanding that this malaise will comprise of pyrexia, fatigue, congestion and so on and so forth. In all my years of medicine I have rarely encountered a patient who becomes cognizant of the 'disease experience' purely by hearing the eldritch proclamation of its name so, if, the writers chose Marburg purely because it has no resonance with the viewing public they could also have given preferential attention to, Bolivian, Bunyaviridae, Crimean-Congo, Filoviridae, Kyasanur forest disease, Lassa, Omsk and so forth which also present a blank biological canvas, full of the same hemorrhagic trepidation as 'Marburg' and yet few genre writers choose to do so.

As for 'La Paris' I have to proclaim cultural ignorance and promulgate my sheer lack of understanding of how she is generally received. From the tatters that reach these shores I would assume she is a 'trollop' so to give my reckoning of 'Marburg' a more solid, British, resume I would say it is 'Jordan'? Really famous yet no one is sure why....

Best wishes as always

Eth

[Guest gethsemane]

Another tv reference to the Marburg virus was on Crossing Jordan. A show I've just recently started to watch. It was in the storyline of Bugg being a suspected terrorist because it was mentioned in some of his e-mails. Or something of that nature. Everytime I hear of it I get a flashback of the screaming monkey from MM.