Assignment

If it were within your power to have the National Institute of Health (NIH) or the Center for Disease Control (CDC) focus on one disease to eliminate from the planet, which disease would this be?

In your post you should address the following aspects:

Put the name of your choice in the subject title of your post so other students can easily see which diseases have already been nominated.
Points will be deducted for duplicate entries (unless the time stamps on both posts are very close together, suggesting they were being written at the same time).

Name and describe the disease and/or microbe (including its scientific name).

Explain the progression, symptoms, current treatment and/or prevention strategies used to combat the disease.

Identify if it is viral, prion, protist, or bacteria.

This means it has to be a communicable disease that you choose! No cancers, genetic disorders or diseases caused by abiotic factors allowed!)

Explain how it is transmitted.

Be sure to include important aspects of the microbe's biology or transmission method that is unique and incorporate appropriate vocabulary introduced in the learning materials.

How many people globally or nationally are affected by this disease?

Are there certain parts of the world or individuals/races/population subsets where this disease is more prevalent?

Relate why you think this particular disease should receive disproportionate attention/focus/funding above all others.

Do you have personal experience with this disease, do you simply find it too terrible to allow its continued persistence, or...?