PURPOSE:  Powerpoint research for EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES PROJECT

PARAMEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
PROJECT #2: 100 Points Maximum

This is the second of the two projects that you will do this semester. Emerging infectious diseases are infectious diseases whose incidence in humans has increased in the past two decades or threatens to increase in the near future. These diseases include

·         New infections resulting from changes or evolution of existing organisms

·         Known infections spreading to new geographic areas or populations

·         Previously unrecognized infections appearing in areas undergoing ecologic transformation

·         Old infections reemerging as a result of antimicrobial resistance in known agents or breakdowns in public health measures.

·         Agents with bioterrorism potential

The project will consist of two parts:

·         A poster that will address each of the components of information listed below (75 points), and

·         A one-page handout that would be suitable to explain the critical aspects of the disease to the general public (25 points). An example of a brochure is attached to this handout.

You will be responsible for development of a project for one of the following emerging infectious diseases. Assignments will be drawn at random.

1.      Hemorrhagic fever: Ebola

2.      Rickettsia prowazekii (Typhus fever)

3.      Avian influenza A (Bird flu)

4.      Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

5.      Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

6.      Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

7.      E.coli 0157:H7

8.      West Nile Virus

9.      MDRTB (Multi Drug-resistant Tuberculosis)

10.  Anthrax Bacillus anthracis

11.  AIDS

12.  Clostridium difficile

13.  Necrotizing fasciitis (Flesh eating bacteria) Group A streptococci

14.  Plague Yersinia pestis

15.  Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)

16.  Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)

17.  Hepatitis C

18.  Dengue fever

19.  MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

20.  Listeria monocytogenes

21.  Baylisascaris procyonis

22.  Cyclospora cayetanesis

23.  Cryptosporidium parvum

24.  Helicobacter pylori

Poster: 75 Points

The poster part of the project should include, at a minimum, the following information (5 points per section):

·         Etiologic agent and its general characteristics

·         The signs and symptoms of the disease

·         Why is this organism considered to be of high risk? What organ system(s) does it affect? Microbial virulence mechanisms that contribute to the disease process.

·         Laboratory tests to absolutely confirm the identity of the disease, i.e., gram stain, spore producer, acid-fast, O₂ requirements etc. Be specific for this organism!

·         Historical information to include when, who, and where the organism was isolated, and the significance of its name

·         Transmission route(s) and usual reservoirs.

·         Treatment for the disease. Death rate without treatment. Is a vaccine available? If so, discuss the vaccine, side effects etc. If no vaccine is available, why not? Is one being developed?

·         How can the disease be prevented?

·         Special susceptibility (i.e., elderly, immunocompromised, children, etc.)

·         Current outbreaks/cases locally and globally (with incidence)

A minimum of five reliable, scientific references (books, publications or Internet) plus any other references used. (10 points)

When selecting online references, remember that not all information on the WWW is reliable. Always try to use journal articles or governmental documents as the "authority," and not rely on commercial sites (.com) unless the same information appears in multiple references. Two references with the same URL except for the last part will be considered the same reference, like different pages in a book. Include all sources used; reference books and periodicals by a standard format.

Be VERY careful when referencing online sites. Each underscore, period, or capital letter must be exact, or we will not be able to find the site. Always check your references before reporting them by using the OPEN feature on your browser. If your reference will not open, it will not be counted toward your grade.

To report your sources, prepare a bibliography at the end of your poster presentation and number all references used. Then in the body of your poster, give the number of the reference you used for information. This is called end notes, which you have probably used for other research papers. As with any report, be sure to paraphrase the information you use. If you choose to use direct quotes from the article, you must use quotation marks. I will be checking the references, so be sure NOT to plagiarize!!

There are five required parts of an Internet reference:

• the author of the article, if available.
• title of the article
• the date written/updated
• Internet address (URL). For example, http://www2.austin.cc.tx.us/microbio/2704/syllabus.html is the URL or reference for this page, which should show in your browser heading. An easy way to get this reference is to copy it from your browser and paste into your word processing program, so typos will not be made.
• the date you visited the site.

The remaining 15 points for the poster will be based upon my evaluation of the overall project, including spelling, grammar, logical sequence of presentation, and attractiveness (uncluttered, neat, colorful, professional).

Brochure: 25 points

The second part of the project is to develop a brochure that could be handed out to the general public to educate them about the disease. A sample of a brochure is attached to this handout. Grading on this part of the project will be based on accuracy of the content, appropriateness for understanding by the general public, attractiveness and creativity. Do not simply copy the brochure that I have given you for an example! Use your own imagination to put one together.