The Stealth Virus

by Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths, Professor of Virology at the Royal Free Hospital and University College London studied medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and has spent his professional life in medical virology. He has an international reputation, unrivalled expertise and insight into the effect that viruses can have on patients and their families. Professor Griffiths uses this experience and stories of real patients to demonstrate how cytomegalovirus has avoided detection and treatment for so long. He introduces you to CMV, an intelligent virus which evolved millions of years ago intending to infect everyone on the planet during childhood, spreading silently throughout the world whilst remaining unrecognised. Professor Griffiths explains how modern living has jolted this stealth virus out of its complacency, rapidly altering the conditions it needs to survive. Over a period of 100 years (a blink of the eye in evolutionary time) humans have changed their world to become cleaner, longer living life forms which avoid childhood infections, have babies later in life, swap organs during transplantation and even suppress their immune systems with drugs or HIV. Professor Griffiths describes how and why this virus has come out of obscurity to become a top target for elimination. Although you may never have heard its name, there is a good chance that you, your family and your friends have encountered it. After you have heard The Stealth Virus tell its own story, its victims are given a voice too. This book describes how CMV is being confronted and introduces the researchers who will defend us against its insidious and sometimes devastating consequences. This book brings medical virology to life. It is dedicated to those who have encountered The Stealth Virus and to those who have declared war upon it.

Genres: Medicine, Nonfiction

234 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2012

About the author

Paul Griffiths, Professor of Virology at the Royal Free Hospital and University College London studied medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and has spent his professional life in medical virology.

Reviews

[Holly M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but infuriating book as here we are in 2024 and most doctors don't even test for CMV. Both EBV and CMV are rampant yet docs don't test for them or it's written off as just cold sores. There is STILL a dearth of information for adults told they do have it - almost all of it is aimed at pregnant women and about 1/10th towards those who have had transplants. The rest of us are still left out to dry.

The book cites interesting studies but that is about it. I had hoped for info on the virus and adult cases that are not organ recipents, bone marrow, etc.