What microorganism do you believe is to blame for this illness (be specific)
Project: Case Study Scenario
Addresses Course Outcomes #1, #2, #3
- recognize the use of the scientific method to weigh evidence, make decisions, and solve problems
- apply knowledge of cellular and molecular processes to understand infectious disease mechanisms
- synthesize knowledge of microbial pathogenesis and disease prevention methods and communicate this knowledge to the community
A scientific case study is a short summary of an event or personal experience that ends in a “mystery”—in this case, one that you will solve using your own research and the clues provided within the case study. For this project, you will evaluate a patient-centered case study that explores a mysterious bacterial or viral illness. The case study will include a set of questions to guide your analysis.
Your paper should include the following:
Paper format:
Once you have gathered all of your information, you will organize your case study analysis into an essay of 1,000 to 1,500 words (not including original case study OR references). The essay should include in-text citations and references formatted in APA style.
Format Guidelines: (please separate “pages” with a horizontal line in the text box)
– Page 1: Should include the following:
– Name
– Case study text you were given (do not include the questions)
– Page 2: Begin your paper here
Brief introduction to the disease and the bacterial or viral cause of the disease.
Use the evidence provided in the case study and the information you have gathered from references to support your conclusions.
The answers to the case study questions should be worked into your final document in a logical, well-organized manner. Think of the questions as a guide to help you with the content of your paper. You should NOT simply answer these questions one by one in your paper.
Paper should be 1,000 to 1,500 words (not including original case study or references).
Use in-text citations and include reference citations at the end of the paper
References:
You must have a minimum of two outside sources to support your evaluation.
These can consist of any of the following: books, textbooks, scholarly journal articles, and websites run by reputable government organizations (such as the CDC or NIH).
You may have additional references as well. All of your references should be no more than six years old (published in 2005 or later).
Citations:
You should include BOTH in-text citations and a final reference page formatted in APA style. Please see http://www.umuc.edu/
All work must be original work written by you and your group members. Your paper may be checked for plagiarism, so please make a concerted effort to use and cite your sources appropriately. Any submitted work that is not your own, or incidences of plagiarism, will be reported to UMUC administration.
Case Study C: A 54 year old male named Thomas went to his family doctor complaining of stiff knee joints. Brian is overall healthy and exercises regularly. Thomas told the doctor that about 4 weeks ago he started having flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, fatigue and body aches. This happened about a week after taking his grandkids hiking in the mountains of Virginia. He also noticed a red ring-like rash on his leg about 2 weeks ago. Since that trip Thomas has been doing normal activities including going to work and exercising 3 days per week at the gym.
The Gram stain results on Thomas’ blood sample were inconclusive.
Based on the information presented in the case study, answer the following questions in your paper (see guidelines for additional info):
What microorganism do you believe is to blame for this illness (be specific)? Provide background information on this organism, history, morphology, virulence factors, toxins, etc…
What information from the patient’s symptoms contributed to your decision? Did this information allow you to rule out any other possible culprits? What information from the patient’s history and/or lab samples that contributed to your decision? Support your answers with factual evidence and logical reasoning.
What is the epidemiology of this disease? Identify risk factors for this disease and describe the disease course/outcome in humans.
What steps can be taken to treat the illness? How and why are the treatments effective (or ineffective)? Are there any concerns or other complications of this disease?
Solution preview for the order on what microorganism do you believe is to blame for this illness (be specific)
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