You don’t need a virus to have a plague.
This book introduces Dr. Mitch Garrett, a neurologist busy taking care of his patients at a hospital in northern California. He is drawn into a bizarre problem when something never seen before manifests itself.

Then, working with Dr. “Ash” Ashby, a world-famous pathologist, trying to determine what is causing the brains of children and adults to be eaten from the inside and changing their human form.
Things deteriorated until the Army is camped out in front of the hospital, and those people trying to stem the growing plague of infected individuals were given only hours to cure the plague before the Army will destroy the hospital and everyone in it―infected or not―as the Powers that Be from Washington DC will do anything to prevent the unknown parasitic creature from escaping from the hospital.

However, unknown to most, two infected individuals have already escaped and gone to the Los Angeles area and, after multiplying, are planning ways to take over the world. They are being hunted by only Detective Ted Kendel, despised for both his sour disposition and his constant anger.
Without more help, these creatures might just pull it off.
And what of the small group of hairless men throwing themselves into a fire? What did they have to do with anything?