Title: Outbreak

Location: Africa
Cedar Creek, California

Summary:

In 1967, the Motaba virus is discovered in a mercenary camp in Africa and kept top
secret. Two soldiers order the camp bombed to cover up the discovery.

Thirty years later the virus resurfaces in Africa. Colonel Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman), a
USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) virologist is
sent to investigate. He and his crew gain information about the virus and return to the United
States where he asks his superior, Brigadier General Billy Ford (Morgan Freeman), to put out an
alert. Ford, who knows the virus is not new, tells Sam it is unlikely to show up. Meanwhile, one
of the host animals, a White-fronted Capuchin monkey, has been illegally brought to the United
States. Jimbo Scott (Patrick Dempsey), an employee at the Biotest animal holding facility, steals
the monkey and takes it to Cedar Creek, California, to sell on the black market. During the trip,
Jimbo is infected with the virus.

Trying to sell the monkey to a pet store, the owner, who becomes infected as well, tells
Jimbo the monkey is the wrong gender. Jimbo releases the monkey into the woods. Jimbo starts
to show signs of infection while flying to Boston, where he gets off the plane and kisses his
girlfriend, infecting her. They are both hospitalized. A Centers for Disease Control scientist,
Robby Keough (Rene Russo) who happens to be Sam's ex-wife, investigates the infections.
Jimbo, his girlfriend, and the pet store owner died from the virus. Robby finds that no one else in
Boston was infected.

While the techs at a Cedar Creek hospital run tests on the pet store owner's blood, one of
them inadvertently reaches into a spinning centrifuge. The vial inside breaks, splattering the tech
and infecting him. He later goes to a packed movie theater and exposes numerous Cedar Creek
citizens to the virus. Sam learns of the infection and wants to be sent there, but Ford orders him
to New Mexico to investigate an outbreak of Hantavirus to prevent him from learning too much
about the Motaba virus. Sam disobeys the order and flies to Cedar Creek, joining Robby's team.

Sam realizes that the virus has become airborne. At first, Ford orders Sam arrested, but
after learning of the airborne mutation lets him continue. They find out about the pet store owner
and believe that a host animal at the store may be carrying antibodies. Searching the store, they
find a monkey; the monkey is already sick, but they contain and examine it. Meanwhile, a state
of martial law has been declared in Cedar Creek, and the United States Army has taken control
of the town to contain the outbreak.

A mystery serum, E-1101 is introduced to those suffering from Motaba. Daniels wonders
what this is and administers it to the infected monkey obtained from the pet store. The monkey
recovers and Daniels realizes that E-1101 is not experimental, that it was designed to cure
Motaba, and that Ford knew about the virus beforehand. However, the serum does not help the
residents of Cedar Creek, since the virus has mutated.

Several accidents happen: Casey's (Kevin Spacey) protective suit tears when his air line
stretches too far, infecting him with the virus. While treating Casey, his sudden spasms cause
Robby to jab herself with a needle. Sam confronts Ford about the serum and learns about Ford's
involvement in the African village. Ford admits he withheld information on the virus due to
national security and its potential to be turned into a biological weapon.

Sam learns from Ford of Operation Clean Sweep, a plan by the military to bomb the town
of Cedar Creek, with approval from the President. Major General Donald McClintock (Donald
Sutherland), who was Ford's partner in the African camp and was responsible for its destruction,
plans to use the bombing to cover up the virus's existence to advance his weapon objective. To
prevent Sam from finding a cure, McClintock has him arrested by implicating Sam as a carrier of
the virus. This leads Sam and Major Salt (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to search for the host animal to save
the town, Casey and Robby. Flying a helicopter to the ship that carried the host animal, Sam
obtains a picture of the monkey and broadcasts it on the news, which a viewer realizes her
daughter is playing with in their backyard. She calls the station, and Sam and Salt arrive at the
family's house. The daughter coaxes out the monkey, which Salt tranquilizes. Learning from
Sam that the host animal is captured, Ford delays the bombing.

Flying back, Sam and Salt are confronted by McClintock, who also came by helicopter.
Sam has Salt fire two rockets into the trees to trick McClintock into thinking they crashed.
Returning to Cedar Creek, Salt mixes the monkey's antibodies with the E-1101 to create an anti-
serum in time to save Robby but not Casey. Sam discovers Operation Clean Sweep is in progress
and becomes aware that McClintock won't call off the bombing. He and Salt take it upon
themselves to fly in the way of the bomber to stop it. With support from Ford, Sam is able to stay
in the way of the plane long enough to convince the pilot and his bombardier that information
was withheld from them. The bombardier detonates the bomb over water instead of the town.
Ford, having had enough of McClintock's single-minded obsession, relieves McClintock of
command and places him under arrest for withholding information from the President.
McClintock promises to take Ford down with him. Sam and Robby make up, and the remaining
residents of the town are successfully cured.
Learning Insights:

This film, Outbreak is an excellent motivator to us students especially for us nursing

student because it help us to better understand the study of viruses and viral illness. The path of
the virus from host animal to its first victims and from there to an entire community is clearly
shown and explain in this film. Outbreak has many other positive features. It shows different
races working together in harmony, the role of the Centers for Disease Control in containing the
spread of infectious disease, the power of society to quarantine persons infected with virulent
pathogens, and divorced people who still care for each other. The film also explores the question
of whether people exposed to contagious diseases can be killed to protect society as a whole and
gives an example of how some people in large organizations can deal ethically with the pressures
that are sometimes placed on them.

Outbreak, being a drama/suspense/action oriented film was easy on the action cues, and
heavier on the somber notes of death, sadness and ultimate rejuvenation of hope etc. etc.
However, two pivotal sequences stand out in the film, the Sutherland/Hoffman river bed chase
and the standoff between Hoffman and Gooding Jr's helicopter and the bomber making its
cataclysmic run on the recently saved town. Other notables are "Motaba River Valley" and
"Finding the Ship", which further illustrate Howard's ability to keep the pace with his short, but
rousing, themes.

After watching the film I have learned that if a person is already susceptible to have a
disease he or she should be isolated to prevent the spread of the disease. The professional in the
film uses different technique to avoid direct contact. They use a protective suit to avoid direct
contact to the infected persons.

I have also learned that Ebola is the virus Ebola virus (EBOV), a viral genus, and the
disease Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). The virus is named
after the Ebola River Valley in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), which is
near the site of the first recognized outbreak in 1976 at a mission hospital run by Flemish nuns.
The virus interferes with the endothelial cells lining the interior surface of blood vessels and with
coagulation. As the blood vessel walls become damaged and destroyed, the platelets are unable
to coagulate, patients succumb to hypovolemic shock. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids,
while conjunctiva exposure may also lead to transmission.

In this film, the scientist plays an important role because they are the only way to solve
the problem and they are the one sacrificing just for the sake of the people. Technology also
plays an important part in this film.