Question 2:
Case Study:

In Early Fall, a neonatal nurse in a large metropolitan hospital became ill with cough and fever.  His physician believed he had seasonal allergies and treated him with anti-allergic medications. He returned to work. Three weeks later his condition worsened and he had shortness of breath and bloody sputum. Upon questioning, his physician noted that he was a native of South Africa. He had a positive skin test for tuberculosis and always thought it was because of his TB vaccine and his chest X-ray had always been clear.  This time however, his sputum tested positive for acid-fast bacilli. He was diagnosed with active tuberculosis.  He was restricted from work and placed in isolation for 6 weeks. But during those 3 weeks, he had exposed 900 patients including 620 newborns to TB. Infectious Disease  

a) Describe the signs and symptoms of tuberculosis.

b) What is the mode of transmission of this disease?

c) What is the pathogen that causes TB. How did the doctor know that it might be TB?

d) How can physicians assess their patients quickly if they have an infectious disease?

e) What policies should be in place at hospitals to protect patients from exposure to infectious staff members?

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Question 3:
Epidemiology activity

Pick a disease of your choice that has been an epidemic or pandemic in the past or present.  Write a minimum 250 word essay on the epidemiological perspective of the disease.  In your essay, focus on the incidence, prevalence of the disease and how did it turn into an epidemic/pandemic. Was it a healthcare associated infection? If so what type? Talk about how public health agencies intervened to limit the spread of the disease. Provide statistics on which parts of the world were affected.

Question 4:
Taxonomists classify Zika virus in the family Flavidiriae, which includes small, enveloped, spherical viruses with genomes of single-stranded RNA. Flaviviruses cause many human diseases, such as yellow fever and dengue fever. Mosquitos can carry Zika virus, but unlike other arboviruses, Zika virus can also be transmitted sexually. There are no drugs approved by the FDA to treat Zika infection, and there is no vaccine. Fortunately, symptoms are often mild, including fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. The greatest danger is to unborn children. If a pregnant mother is infected, the virus can pass to her unborn child and can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, resulting in incomplete brain development. Physicians confirm suspected Zika infection by identifying specific antibodies against Zika virus in the blood of patients or by detection of viral RNA in the woman’s urine or blood. Without treatment, prevention is the only defense. Use of mosquito repellent and nets along with elimination of standing water, where Aedes mosquitoes breed, are most effective. For Americans, caution should be taken in traveling to countries with current Zika outbreaks.

What is the role of mosquitos in spreading the virus to and among humans?
Why do viruses often spread rapidly when first introduced to a new area?
Based on your knowledge of viral replication, describe how zika virus replicates in the human body (Remember to look up replication of animal viruses).