Plot Summary of Outbreak Movie - Essay Example

In 1994, about 27 years down the line, another outbreak occurs in Motaba Valley. Colonel Sam Daniels of USAMRIID together with his ex-wife Roberta Keough of CDC conducts research into the virus in Maryland and Georgia respectively. A monkey infected with the Montaba virus finds its way on a ship headed for the USA. As soon as the monkey arrives, the deadly virus infects people in Cedar Creek, a town in California.

Consequently, Roberta and Sam accompanied by doctor Casey Schuler head to Cedar Creek to hunt for the monkey hoping that the monkey would lead them to the cure of the virus. On his way, Sam came across some vital information that could change things – McClintock has been hiding this information from the US president. McClintock and Ford have possessed a serum (E-1101) prepared to cure the virus since 1967. On several occasions, McClintock has restrained Ford from revealing the information. McClintock now plans to bomb Cedar Creek as he did to Motaba Valley.

However, Sam and Roberta discover that the virus in Cedar Creek is a different strain of the deadly Motaba virus – it is airborne and more contagious. A new serum is manufactured to stop this new strain. Thereafter, Sam and Roberta embark on stopping McClintock from blowing up Cedar Creek. How Outbreak Addresses Epidemiology Outbreak is a good example of the work of an epidemiologist. An airborne virus spread to humans through a monkey and subsequently to other humans. An epidemiologist comes into control and monitors the spread of the virus.

He first orders quarantine in affected regions. He then conducts tests on affected persons to identify and ascertain how the virus causes the disease. After discovering that the Ebola virus caused the disease and that the virus is naturally present in certain monkeys, he searches for the monkey so that he can produce an antidote to stop the outbreak. The things happening in the movie are the same things an epidemiologist does in real life. Virus scares are scarce these days hence epidemiologists would seem to have no work at all.

Apparently, several diseases break out each day such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dengue. Although these diseases are easily treatable and containable, epidemiologists still research their cases just in case new strains emerged, exposing people to danger. The primary role of an epidemiologist is to understand how and why a disease occurs. He can then recommend control measures necessary to end the disease (Rothman 8). Outbreak versus ContagionWhile Contagion trusts its restraint, Outbreak pushes it aside to favor success.

Although Contagion moves slowly to its close, it has an element of truth in it. On the contrary, Outbreak builds up to an aerial chase, incorporating unbelievable things that feel completely phony. Still, Contagion is a bloodless thriller. It is very short and has superb character development. The outbreak, on the other hand, entails military and medical decisions clothed in the nature of the characters. I must admit that Outbreak wins on the front of the characters.The difference between the movies is clear.

Contagion embraces its intersecting stories wholeheartedly while Outbreak always tries hard to justify its high-profile actors such as Freeman and Hoffman. There are big actors too in Contagion, but one gets the sense that Elliot Gould and Matt Damon, for instance, were brought along due to their wonderful cooperation in the Oceans movies. I particularly enjoyed watching Walsh in Outbreak because he was starring in another series that I was watching at the time the movie was released. Recommendation Outbreak is everything that most action thrillers are not.

The story was properly written and directed. Moreover, there are many enjoyable tense moments considering that the movie was not qualified as an action movie. The cast is highly appealing. The list of actors is one that every movie fan would wish to find in a movie. The actors deliver excellently due to their broad talents. For an epidemiology student, you should have this movie in your list of course materials. I highly recommend the movie to anyone who has not watched it for it is both a thriller and educative.