Plague

What sets "Plague" apart from many other catastrophe novels is the
unbelievably brisk pace of the tale, diving immediately into the foul
waters of a polluted Florida beach and traveling from breakneck speed
all up the eastern seaboard.
Graham Masterton, while most known for his horror novels (The Manitou,
The Djinn, The Sphinx, etc.), wrote a number of thrillers early in his
career. Plague is one of those and it is also one of his best works.
While the overall premise *may* be a bit farfetched, it is still a
highly entertaining read.

The novel centers around a plague started
from contaminated waste located off beaches in Miami. The plague starts
slowly, only infecting a few, but eventually explodes throughout the
city, eventually across state lines and further. The novel has two
parts -- the infection followed by the survivors trying to stay alive
while trying to find a cure. The ending is somewhat unique and leaves
something to the imagination of the reader.