research • Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome • Hepatitis A • Hepatitis B • Hepatitis C • Herpes simplex • HPV • Influenza • Lassa fever • Norovirus •

• Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Herpes simplex
• HPV
• Influenza
• Lassa fever
• Norovirus
• Polio
• Rabies
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus
• Rotavirus
• Rubella
• Rubeola
• Smallpox
• West Nile Virus
• Yellow Fever
• Creutzfeldt-Jacob Chronic Wasting Disease
• Prion Disease

Written Assignment

FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT

Select a topic from the list and write your paper discussing the selected disease using the guidelines and rubric below.

Guidelines:

· The paper should be a minimum of 
5 pages of relevant and informative material that covers all of the content and requirements listed below and in the rubric. The 
5 pages does not include the title and reference pages. The paper should thoroughly inform the reader.

1. Introduction to the organism (structure, cell type, morphology, metabolic requirements, natural reservoir, history, etc.)

2. Introduction to the disease(s) caused by the organism (epidemiology, signs, symptoms, etc.) OR introduction to the environmental impact of the organism

3. List and describe factors employed by the organism to assist in its growth, reproduction, culture conditions, host/pathogen interactions and/or virulence. (e.g. nitrogen fixation, symbiotic interactions etc.) Categorize virulence factors by mechanisms of action (Immunity Avoidance, Tissue/Cell Lysis, Colonization/Spread)

4. Discussion of treatment/prevention options for the disease(s) caused by the organism (Antibiotics or other chemotherapeutics given as part of treatment and their mechanisms of action, Vaccines available and type)

· APA format. This includes citations and references

· Title page must have a title (name of the disease selected), student name, instructor name, course title, and date.

· No direct quotes; put information into your own words or paraphrase

·
3 primary and 
at least
2 secondary scholarly sources

· 1 inch margins

· Double-spaced

· 12 point, Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier

· After uploading to Turnitin, your paper will be scored for similarity. Anything above 20% similarity should be worked on further and uploaded again before the due date. Please email your instructor for more help with this.

NOTE:  Students should consider submitting their paper to the free online tutoring service prior to uploading their final draft. The link is located near the top of this Moodle course. The service will offer guidance on how to improve your paper.  Students using this service continue to report how much better their papers appeared once they completed the recommended edits.

NOTE: Turnitin is a tool for faculty that students have an opportunity to benefit from if they choose to, however, if they choose not to use it effectively then that is their own decision. With that being said, Turnitin takes time to generate the similarity report and can take up to 24 hours. If you wait until the last day and/or minute, etc., to submit, you may not get a similarity report and are still subject to the similarity % requirement above.

Would you like some tips on what to include in your paper?  Here are 
some of the categories, explained in detail to help you construct the best paper.

A. 
What is the causative agent of the disease? Is it a bacterium, a virus, a prion, or a eukaryote?

1. If it is a bacterium, what are the characteristics of the cell (Gram-reaction, cell shape and arrangement? metabolic capabilities?).

2. If it is a virus, what are its characteristics (DNA, positive-strand RNA, negative-strand RNA, or retrovirus? enveloped or naked? how large is it? does it form a provirus? Any unique characteristics of its multiplication cycle?).

3. If it is a prion, what is a prion? Wherein the body does it occur? What is the function of the normal-type protein?

4. If it is eukaryote, is it a fungus, an alga, a protozoan, a platyhelminth, or a nematode? Is it multicellular or unicellular? What is its life cycle?

B. 
History: How long have we known about this disease?

1. Describe the changes in our knowledge and attitudes toward this disease throughout history.

C. 
Epidemiology: Describe the prevalence and transmission of this disease.

1. Where (in the world) is the disease prevalent? How many people are currently infected? What is the rate of new infections? What are the rates of morbidity and mortality?

2. What is (are) the reservoir(s) of the pathogen? What is (are) the mode(s) of transmission?

D. 
Pathology: Describe the pathogenic effects on cells, tissues, and organ systems.

1. Where in the body (what tissues/organs/cells) does the pathogen affect?

2. What damage does the pathogen inflict? How is this damage inflicted (is there direct mechanical damage? is it a toxin produced? does the immune response cause damage?)?

3. What is the time sequence of the disease (length of incubation, prodrome, illness, decline, and convalescence)?

4. What are the major signs and symptoms?

E. 
Response and Treatment

1. Describe the activity of our immune system against the pathogen.

2. What types of medical treatments exist? Describe how these treatments affect the progression of the disease.

3. Describe prophylactic measures that can be taken to limit the risk of infection.

F. 
Socio-politico-economic

1. Describe any historic or present day social, economic, or political issues that either help or hinder us in limiting the spread of the disease.

2. Suggest policies and practices that can be employed to help with limiting the spread of the disease. For each policy and practice, describe what will be needed (what we have to sacrifice) in order to properly implement the proposal.